*** Paul Piorek is editor and publisher of Paul's Local Weather Journal for southwestern Connecticut ... Paul is the on-air meteorologist at WICC 600 AM and 95.9 FM ... Paul is a New York Emmy award winner (2007), five-time Emmy nominee, and four-time winner of the Connecticut Associated Press Broadcasters' Association award for Best TV Weathercast (2006, 2008, 2009, 2012) ... Paul was voted Best Local Television Personality by the readers of Fairfield County Weekly Magazine (2012) ... Paul was inducted into the Housatonic Community College Hall of Fame and received the Distinguished Alumni Award (2012) ... The local weather journal is a two-time winner of the Communicator Award of Distinction (2012 & 2013) ... Paul is currently a full-time teacher of Earth Science and Mathematics in Fairfield ... Follow Paul at https://bsky.app/profile/paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social/

Saturday, December 2, 2023

November Featured Cooler- and Slightly Drier-Than-Normal Weather Across Southwestern Connecticut

November is officially in the rear-view mirror, and the month, not surprisingly, was cooler- and drier-than-normal across southwestern Connecticut.

The average monthly temperature for the 30-day period was 43.6 degrees F, which is 2.4 degrees below normal. Twenty of the 30 days last month featured cooler-than-normal average temperatures. In fact, nine of the last 12 days of the month were colder-than-normal.

The high temperature for November at the Bridgeport climate station was 63 degrees, which occurred November 5th and 17th. The coldest temperature was 24 degrees on November 25th. Fourteen days featured a morning low of 32 degrees or colder.

More than three inches of precipitation (3.07") fell at Bridgeport, which was just 0.04" below normal for the month. Seven days featured at least one-hundredth of an inch of rain; there were four days with at least one-tenth of an inch of rain; there was one day with at least one-half inch of rain; and there was one day with at least one inch of rain.


The greatest 24-hour rainfall happened November 21st and 22nd when 2.61" fell. The first half of the month featured only one day (November 7) with more than one-hundredth of an inch of rain (0.20"). 

Paul

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

October Warmer And Drier Than Normal Across Southwestern Connecticut

The month of October is officially in the weather record books, and it was warmer and drier than normal across southwestern Connecticut.

The average temperature for October at the Bridgeport climate station was 58.4 degrees F, which is exactly two degrees above normal. The warmest temperature was 79 degrees (October 4), and the coolest was 41 degrees (October 24).

The warmest stretch of weather happened from October 25th through the 28th with consecutive daily highs of 70, 74, 70, and 77, respectively. In fact, there were 11 days with a daily high temperature of at least 70 degrees, including the first five days of the month.

The monthly precipitation total for October was 2.84 inches, which is exactly one inch below normal. There were eight days with measured rain, including six with at least one-tenth of an inch and three with at least a half-inch. Nearly an inch of rain (0.95") fell from October 29th through the 30th.

Interestingly, all four full weekends in the month featured measured rain, extending the weekend streak of wet weather to eight heading into November.

Paul

Sunday, October 22, 2023

Weekend Rain Pushes Yearly Precipitation Total to More Than 40 Inches at Bridgeport

Paul

Saturday, October 7, 2023

Fifth Consecutive Wet Weekend Across Southwestern Connecticut

It's Saturday.

That must mean more rain for southwestern Connecticut.

This is the fifth consecutive weekend with measured rain at the Bridgeport climate station, dating to the weekend of September 9 and 10. The last weekend without any measured rain happened during Labor Day weekend, which was five weeks ago. However, there was still a trace of rain Saturday, September 2.

More than one-and-a-half inches of rain (1.67") fell Sunday, September 10; one-hundredth of an inch was recorded Sunday, September 17; more than one-third of an inch (0.37") cumulatively dampened both days during the weekend of September 23 and 24; and a little more than one-third of an inch (0.37") fell Saturday, September 30.

Three out of the five July weekends were also wet.

Today's rain keeps the wet weather weekend streak alive. Unfortunately, computer models are hinting at more rain next weekend.

The odds should be in our favor by now, though.

Paul

Sunday, October 1, 2023

A September Soaker Featured a Roller Coaster Ride of Temperatures

September will be remembered for one of the warmest stretches and one of the coolest stretches of weather which virtually divided the month into two distinctly different "climates" across southwestern Connecticut. Through it all, however, it was a soaker of a month.


The average temperature at the Bridgeport climate station for September was 67.8 degrees, which is just about normal (+0.2) for the month. However, the average is quite misleading. Every day from September 3rd through the 14th was warmer-than-normal, including a sweltering stretch of nine consecutive days from September 3rd through the 11th which featured daytime high temperatures of 80 degrees or warmer.


In fact, the high temperatures of 89, 93, and 86 degrees September 6th through the 8th, respectively, were at least 10 degrees warmer-than-normal. Heat indices climbed into the upper 90s, leading many school systems to dismiss early for least three days in a row.


However, the script changed dramatically by the middle of the month. The average daily temperature was cooler-than-normal for 16 consecutive days from September 15th through the 30th. The last time the mercury topped the 70-degree mark was September 22nd.


The hottest temperature at Bridgeport last month was 93 degrees (September 7), and the coolest temperature was 47 degrees (September 27).

As far as precipitation is concerned, more than eight inches (8.28") fell at the Bridgeport climate station. That was 4.32" above normal for the month. Some towns across southwestern Connecticut received much more rain, punctuated by the heavy rain of Friday, September 28.


Thirteen of the 30 days featured measured rainfall, including 3.35" on September 28. There were three days with at least one inch of rain, three days with at least one-half inch, nine days with at least one-tenth of an inch, and 13 days with at least one-hundredth of an inch.



The new month of October will begin on a much warmer note. Let's hope that the excessive rain and much cooler-than-normal temperatures of the last two weeks aren't replicated this month.

Paul

Saturday, September 9, 2023

"Marginal" Risk for Severe Thunderstorms North and West of the Region Through This Evening

Paul

Thursday, September 7, 2023

Record High Temperature of 92 Degrees Established at Bridgeport Today

Paul

Saturday, September 2, 2023

Cooler-Than-Normal August Offered Average Rainfall Across Southwestern Connecticut

August was cooler-than-normal across southwestern Connecticut, while the nearly-four-inch precipitation was just about average for the eighth month of the year.

The average temperature at the Bridgeport climate station for August was 73.1 degrees, which is 1.4 degrees below normal. Believe it or not, the mercury did not reach 90 degrees at all. The warmest temperature of 89 degrees happened August 13, while the coolest reading of 59 degrees occurred August 2.

Nine of the first 12 days of the month featured an average temperature at or below normal, while 12 of the last 17 days of the month were cooler-than-normal. The average daytime high temperature was 79.9 degrees, while the average nighttime low was 66.3 degrees.

The monthly rainfall total of 3.92" was just 0.06" below normal. Twelve of the 31 days featured measured rain. The greatest 24-hour precipitation of 1.13" happened August 14 and 15. The greatest one-day total of 1.13" happened August 15. Three days later, August 18, nearly one-inch (0.85") fell, producing two-plus inches of rain in a four-day stretch.

Nine days produced more than one-tenth of an inch of rain, three days delivered at least a half-inch, and one day offered at least one inch.

Paul 

Monday, August 14, 2023

Declination of the Sun Changes Dramatically During August

I'm sure you've noticed that the length of daylight is decreasing across southwestern Connecticut. The mornings are getting lighter later, while the evenings are getting darker earlier. That's to be expected this time of the year. However, have you noticed the subtle change in the length of the shadows? That's due to the lower angle of the Sun in the sky.

It has been nearly eight weeks since the Summer Solstice, and the Autumnal Equinox is just a little more than five short weeks away. The Sun is not nearly as high in the sky today as it was on the first day of Summer. The Sun was 23.26 degrees North of the celestial equator on June 21, which is as high as it ever gets in southwestern Connecticut. The days were at their longest and the shadows were at their shortest.


Today, though, the Sun is just 14.52 degrees North of the celestial equator, meaning that it's nearly four degrees lower in the sky than it was August 1 (+18.10 degrees) and nearly ten degrees lower than it was at the end of June (+23.13). The Sun's lower angle in the sky continues to accelerate through the end of the month. By August 31, for example, it will be just 8.52 degrees North of the celestial equator.

The Sun's rays remain North of the celestial equator through September 23, when the Sun is just 0.10 degrees above it. From that point on, the Sun's rays continue to sink below the celestial equator until December 21, the first day of Winter, when they reach -23.26 degrees. That, understandably, is the shortest day of the year in terms of sunlight.

So, what does this all mean? In short, the Sun's angle is continuing to sink lower in the sky, the shadows outside are getting a little longer each day, and the length of daylight is decreasing each day. The midpoint of Summer was a little less than two weeks ago, and now Autumn is staring right at us. I'm not ready for Summer to leave just yet.

Paul

Monday, July 31, 2023

July Was Much Wetter and Warmer Than Normal Across Southwestern Connecticut

Wet, warm, and humid.

That's the best way to sum up the month of July across southwestern Connecticut.

The total monthly precipitation of 7.68" was almost four-and-a-half inches above the normal average for the month (3.32"). Thirteen days (42%) featured at least one-hundredth of an inch of rain; 12 days had at least one-tenth of an inch; six days delivered at least a half-inch; and four days featured at least an inch. 

The greatest 24-hour precipitation total happened over a two-day period from July 3 through July 4 when 2.49" fell at the Bridgeport climate station.

The average monthly temperature was 76.9 degrees, which is 1.2 degrees warmer-than-normal. The temperature never dropped below 60 degrees the entire month. The hottest temperature of 92 degrees happened July 12, and the coolest temperature of 60 degrees occurred on the last day of the month.

Only three days featured a high temperature of at least 90 degrees, including July 27 (90 degrees) and July 28 (91 degrees). The following day, July 29, had a high temperature of 89 degrees, which was one degree shy of an official three-day heat wave at Bridgeport.

Just six days had an average temperature below normal, four of which averaged just one degree below normal.

Paul

Thursday, July 27, 2023

Strong to Severe Thunderstorms Possible Across Southwestern Connecticut Late Today Into Tonight

The atmopshere will be most certainly "juiced" today due to the heating of the Sun, high dew points and humidity levels, and hottest temperatures of the year thus far across southwestern Connecticut.

Strong thunderstorms are expected to develop early this evening into tonight. Some thunderstorms may contain heavy rain, gusty winds, and small hail. In fact, there is even a two percent chance of a tornado across the region.

Here is the Storm Prediction Center's regional severe weather outlook for today, including the potential for severe weather, tornadoes, wind, and hail.

Paul

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Hottest Weather of the Summer Expected Across Southwestern Connecticut

The hottest stretch of weather this Summer across southwestern Connecticut will happen this Thursday through Saturday, with heat indices expected to eclipse 100 degrees Thursday and Friday. Heat indices will approach 105 degrees across much of the Northeast Thursday.
Please exercise caution if you must be outside Thursday afternoon. Here are a few tips, courtesy of the National Weather Service.



A Heat Advisory has been issued for southwestern Connecticut from Thursday at 11 a.m. through Friday at 9 p.m. EDT, and an Air Quality Alert will be in effect Thursday from 11 a.m. through 11 p.m. EDT.
A cold front is expected to cross the region late Saturday, bringing a threat for strong thunderstorms. A more pleasant air mass will arrive by the end of the weekend with daytime temperatures in the low 80s and lower humidity levels. 

Paul

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Tuesday Rain Pushes Monthly Total Close to Seven Inches

A strong thunderstorm moved across southwestern Connecticut late Tuesday afternoon, bringing pockets of heavy rain, gusty winds, and vivid lightning.

Slightly more than one-third of an inch of rain was recorded at the Bridgeport climate station at Sikorksy Memorial Airport.


That brought the monthly total to 6.73 inches, which is 4.16 inches above normal through July 25. In fact, eleven days this month have featured at least one-hundredth of an inch of rain; 10 days have featured at least one-tenth of an inch of rain; five days brought at least a half-inch of rain; and four days produced at least one inch of rain.

More rain is expected from thunderstorms late Thursday and late Saturday, potentially pushing the monthly total to more than seven inches.

Paul

Sunday, July 23, 2023

First Completely Dry Weekend Across Southwestern Connecticut in Six Weeks

This is the first completely dry weekend across southwestern Connecticut since June 10 and 11, which was six weeks ago. The weather is absolutely beautiful along Samp Mortar Lake in the Lake Hills section of Fairfield.



Each of the last five weekends featured measured rain at the Bridgeport climate station. Measured rain was recorded Saturday, June 17 (0.01"), Saturday, June 24 (0.13"), Sunday, July 2 (0.21"), Sunday, July 9 (0.13"), Saturday, July 15 (0.01"), and Sunday, July 16 (1.47").

Another beautiful Summer day is ahead under a mostly sunny sky and a high temperature in the mid 80s.

Paul

Friday, July 7, 2023

Ninety-Nine Percent of Earth's Population Will Receive Some Degree of Sunlight at the Exact Same Time Saturday

Paul

Saturday, July 1, 2023

June Featured Cooler and Drier Than Normal Weather Across Southwestern Connecticut

The month of June will most certainly be remembered for the smoke from the Canadian wildfires which affected southwestern Connecticut. The smoke was thick and reached "very unhealthy" levels during the first week of June. Indications are that the smoke will return intermittently through the foreseeable future.

June was much cooler and drier than normal across southwestern Connecticut. In fact, there were only three days with a high temperature of at least 80 degrees, and the warmest temperature of 81 degrees happened twice, June 2 and June 28.

Twenty days featured cooler-than-normal temperatures at Bridgeport, including a nine-day stretch from June 3 through June 11 and a six-day stretch from June 18 through June 23. 

Six days delivered a high temperature only in the 60s, including a high temperature of 69 degrees on June 21, which was the first day of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

The coolest temperature was 46 degrees, which occurred the morning of June 4.

The average monthly temperature at the Bridgeport climate station was 66.9 degrees, which is 2.7 degrees below normal. It marked the second consecutive cooler-than-normal month at Bridgeport.

The monthly precipitation total of 1.53" was more than two inches below normal (3.77"). There were six days with at least one-tenth of an inch of rain and 11 days with at least one-hundredth of an inch of rain. Believe it or not, there were no days which featured at least a half-inch of rain. Nineteen of the 30 days did not have any measured rain.

As far as sky conditions are concerned, 10 days (33%) were clear, 16 were partly cloudy, and four were mostly cloudy. 

Paul

Friday, June 9, 2023

Much-Needed Rain Will Arrive Early Next Week

Less than a quarter-inch of precipitation has been recorded at Bridgeport since May 20. Only two of the last 19 days (May 24 and June 6) have featured any measured rain.

 Some rain, however, is on the way early next week.

Sunday, April 9, 2023

Snowiest Season on Record Came to a Close 27 Years Ago Today

Seasonal snowfall records were smashed across much of New England when heavy, wet snow buried Northern New England and delivered nearly a foot of snow (11.3″) to Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford from the evening of April 9 through the morning of April 10, 1996. It was a fitting end to the Winter that just didn’t seem to want to end. In fact, the first snowfall of the season happened the previous November.

When the last flake had fallen, 75.8″ of snow had fallen in southwestern Connecticut that Winter, breaking the previous mark of 71.3″ established over 60 years earlier in 1933-34. Hartford finished the 1995-96 Winter with a record 114.6 inches, which eclipsed the previous mark of 84.9 inches only two years earlier. Here’s a look at snowfall records which were established in the Northeast during the 1995-96 season:

April96

What I most remember about that snowstorm was a telephone call I received from my brother and sister-in-law, who were living in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, at the time. That little town at the base of Mount Monadnock made national headlines when the second major snowstorm in three days produced nearly two feet (21 inches) of snow. My brother and sister-in-law were convinced that they were snowbound for awhile.

We also laughed about how much we were looking forward to seeing the first-ever baseball game at the brand new New Britain Stadium just two days later. The Eastern League’s Rock Cats were unveiling their state-of-the-art ballpark against the rival New Haven Ravens, and we were convinced the game wasn’t going to happen. We had purchased tickets well in advance. However, the game did go on as scheduled, and we enjoyed the festivities, despite temperatures in the lower 30s and snow in the parking lot!

Consider that the normal average snowfall for southwestern Connecticut for the month of April is only 0.9″ based on 40 years of record-keeping, and the normal average Winter snowfall is about 26.3 inches. 

Paul

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Nearly a Foot of Snow Fell at Bridgeport Climate Station 56 Years Ago Today

One of the snowiest March days on record in Fairfield happened 56 years ago today, Wednesday, March 22, 1967, when 11.1" of snow fell. Two students at Andrew Warde High School took advantage of the unusual March Winter weather by making a snow bunny.

This photograph graced the second page of The Bridgeport Post, Friday, March 24, 1967. Click the photo for a larger view.


According to the caption, "The Easter bunny, usually soft and cuddly, gets a new twist here from two Andrew Warde High School students who took advantage of the abundant snow to make a sculpture which is expected to slide, not hop, down the bunny trail Sunday.

"Gail and Robert Contolini, a senior and junior at the Fairfield school, designed the snowy mass, which is on display on the Warde grounds. The artists and their sister, Nancy, who helped in the project, live at 114 Rosedale Street, Fairfield."


Although I'm not certain, the Nancy Contolini mentioned in the article may have been my homeroom teacher in WS-11 in the 1970s. Here is the front page of The Bridgeport Post from Wednesday, March 22, 1967:


Paul

Second of Three March Monsoons Happened 13 Years Ago Today

The second of three major March rainstorms hit southwestern Connecticut 13 year ago today. Just ten days after an unforgettable Nor'easter brought flooding rains, damaging winds, massive power outages, impassable roads, and two fatalities to southwestern Connecticut, Mother Nature struck once again. The second storm, which lingered into the following day, delivered over two inches (2.17") of heavy rain to the region.

A strong low pressure system moved into the Northeast late Monday, March 22, and the steady rain developed during the late-evening hours. Heavy rain pelted southwestern Connecticut through early Tuesday, March 23, causing headaches for early-morning commuters. There were a number of accidents on area roadways during the morning rush hour, due in no small part to the weather.

Rain1

Here is a sampling of the rainfall totals across southwestern Connecticut from the two-day storm. The numbers are quite impressive:

  • Westport: 2.84"
  • Stratford: 2.28"
  • New Canaan: 2.25"
  • Stamford: 2.22"
  • Fairfield: 2.07"
  • Woodbridge: 2.00"

The storm brought the monthly total to nine days out of 23 with measured rain at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford. You may recall that it was the wettest March on record. The three major rainstorms included the March 13 Nor'easter (3.85"), the rainstorm of March 22 and 23 (2.17"), and the flooding rains of March 29 through 31 (3.75). Cumulatively, over ten inches (10.19") of rain hammered the region for the month. There were 14 days with measured rain, including four days with well over an inch.

Paul

Friday, March 17, 2023

Recalling the St. Patrick's Day Storm 16 Years Ago

St_patricks_day_pinSixteen years ago this morning, I had one of the most difficult drives to work in my many years of providing morning weather to our viewers, Saturday, March 17, 2007. My car was a block of ice. My kitchen door froze after I shut it, locking me out of my own house while I attempted to get into the car. The battle with the car door to get it open took me about 10 minutes. And, I had to wake my son out of a sound sleep to accompany me on my harrowing drive to work.

The drive was, without question, extremely difficult. The roads were covered with ice and snow, and snow plows created some embankments at intersections, making it difficult to drive through the mounds of snow and ice. I got stuck twice in "cakes" of snow and ice. Our morning news anchor told me he "did a 360" on the turnpike, and he was obviously unnerved before we went on the air.

According to Lieutenant Paul Vance of the Connecticut State Police who appeared on our morning newscast that day, "Troopers have responded to over 477 accidents. We've been non-stop, busy, constantly during this whole storm. There are really treacherous conditions out there," emphasized Vance. "Many motorists have been stuck."

Road

The storm began on Friday, March 16, 2007, with a moderate snow blanketing the region. The numbers were very impressive for mid March. Easton (6.5 inches), Fairfield (6.4"), New Canaan (6.0"), and Darien (6.0") each received at least a half-foot of snow unofficially. Even Bridgeport (5.0") had substantial snow. The average monthly snow for March is 4.3 inches based on 40 years of climatology. One of our viewers sent this photo from Norwalk.

Snow2

"It was a tough storm," admitted John Kerry of the Department of Transportation storm center. "We're telling people that if they can hold off on their travel they will probably be in a lot better shape. We are seeing spin outs because the roads are slippery." One snow plow driver was asked by News 12 Connecticut's Kristi Olds if this was the worst storm of the Winter. "This one was," he answered immediately. "This one was by far the toughest. All the snow, the ice, and wind. It was tough!"

Nora Massella of Milford, who was a devoted viewer to our morning newscasts, sent this photo of her home and neighborhood. Nora wrote, "Paul, my husband, Mike, tried to get out and it was impossible. When he put down onto the snow, it was thick, thick ice. In order to get rid of this ice, you have to chop it and crack it in order to get rid of it. Our cars are frozen closed."

Nora

The Vernal Equinox is just three days away, but Old Man Winter never leaves quietly. Spring officially arrives next Monday, March 20, at 5:24 p.m. EDT!

Paul