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

The Bridgeport climate station has recorded 40.37" of precipitation this year through today. That's nearly four-and-a-half inches above normal (35.97") and nearly one foot more than last year (29.07") through the same period. pic.twitter.com/xRoCAKLjvD

— Paul Piorek (@PaulPiorek) October 22, 2023

Paul

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

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