Nearly a Half-Foot of Snow Fell 12 Years Ago Today

A storm system brought significant snow to eastern Connecticut and plowable snow across Fairfield County 12 years ago today. The late-December storm, which arrived early Saturday afternoon, December 29, 2012, intensified as it moved away to the east, delivering nearly one foot of snow across parts of New Haven and New London counties. Officially, nearly five inches (4.8") of snow fell at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford, bringing the monthly total to nearly eight inches (7.8").

That brought the 2012-2013 seasonal snowfall total to nearly a foot-and-a-half (16.2"), which is more than double the normal (7.3") through the date. That's more than four times greater than the previous year's total (4.0") through December 30. It was the fourth day with measured snowfall in December of 2012 and the eighth day that month with at least a trace of snow. Take a look at this photo sent by Lisa Chubinsky in Wilton. Her sons, Michael and Eric, made their first snowman of the season.

Officially, Shelton had the highest snow total across Fairfield County (6.3"), followed by New Canaan (5.8"), Newtown (5.4"), Bridgeport (4.6"), Redding (4.5"), Weston (4.3"), Norwalk (3.2"), and Darien (2.3"). New Haven County and points East received much more snow. In fact, Madison measured nearly a foot (11.2") West Haven had more than a half foot (7.0"), and Milford had nearly a half-foot (5.0").

Paul

Winter Weather Advisory for Northern Fairfield and New Haven Counties Through Saurday Morning

A Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect for northern Fairfield and New Haven counties from Friday at 11 p.m. until Saturday at 11 a.m. EST: forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.ph...

[image or embed]

— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) December 27, 2024 at 6:26 AM

One-half inch of ice accretion is possible across northern Fairfield and New Haven counties through Saturday at 1 p.m. EST.

[image or embed]

— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) December 27, 2024 at 6:29 AM

Paul

Post-Christmas Blizzard 14 Years Ago Christened Unforgettable Winter of 2010-11

A powerful blizzard, which delivered about a foot-and-a-half of snow, 60 mile-per-hour wind gusts, and power outages throughout southwestern Connecticut, struck the region 14 years ago today, triggering an unforgettable stretch of snowstorms which brought 60 inches of snow during the Winter of 2010-2011. The timing of the blizzard, which affected thousands of holiday travelers, and the magnitude of the storm made it one for the ages.

I worked the early-morning shift at News 12 Connecticut since June of 1995, and there were only a handful of truly memorable storms. However, this was the first time I wasn't able to drive to work on my own. One of my neighbors agreed to drive me to the studio in his snowplow during the height of the blizzard early Monday morning. I'm glad he did. To be sure, my Chevy Cavalier wouldn't have made the journey from Fairfield to Norwalk.

Officially, 12 inches of snow fell at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford from Sunday morning through early Monday morning. The eight inches of snow which fell December 26 marked the third snowiest December day on record at the time in southwestern Connecticut. Only December 19, 1948 (16 inches), and December 30, 2000 (10 inches), brought more snow in one day. Here are some impressive snow totals from the 2010 post-Christmas storm: 

• Wilton: 18"
• New Canaan: 17.5"
• Greenwich: 17"
• Stratford: 16"
• Norwalk: 16"
• Westport: 14.8"
• Darien: 14.5"
• Milford: 14"
• Bridgeport: 12"

The biting wind was brutal if you were outside for any length of time. Sustained winds of 25 to 35 miles an hour were recorded late Sunday night and Monday, December 27, and wind gusts reached 60 miles at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford (9:21 p.m.) and Greenwich (10:00 p.m.) late Sunday evening. I was surprised that there weren't more widespread power outages.

There's no question the blizzard of December 26, 2010, will not soon be forgotten.

Paul

Recalling the Christmas Eve Snowstorm of 1966

Although it has been nearly 60 years since the Christmas Eve snowstorm of 1966, I still recall it vividly. More than a half-foot of snow blanketed southwestern Connecticut on Saturday, December 24, 1966, resulting in treacherous roads, numerous accidents, and cancelled church services. Officially, 6.9 inches of snow fell at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford, which still stands as a record for the date.

According to an article which appeared in the Bridgeport Sunday Post the following day, the "weather plight was part of an old-fashioned Nor'easter, which brought icy cold, high winds, and a blanket of snow to most of the East (coast)." Gale force winds hammered the region through most of the storm. Take a look at the front page newspaper article from December 25, 1966:

I recall my Dad attempting to drive my family, including my Mom, brother, sister, and me to my grandmother's home in Bridgeport for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. However, after sliding and skidding several times, our car got stuck on a hill in Fairfield. After several minutes, my Dad was able to gain some traction, and we decided to head home and avoid any more perils on the roads.

I was only eight years old and in third grade at the time, but it's a Christmas Eve I'll never forget.

Paul

Christmas Eve Will Feature Morning Light Snow

At least one-half inch of snow is expected across southwestern Connecticut through Tuesday at 1 p.m. EST.

[image or embed]

— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) December 23, 2024 at 5:28 PM

Paul

Light Snow to Christen Start of Winter Season

Approximately one-half inch of snow is expected across southwestern Connecticut through Saturday at 7 p.m. EST.

[image or embed]

— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) December 20, 2024 at 3:25 PM

Paul

Winter Weather Advisory for Northern Fairfield and New Haven Counties

A Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect for northern Fairfield and New Haven counties Monday from 1 a.m. until 11 a.m. EST: forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.ph...

[image or embed]

— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) December 15, 2024 at 8:26 AM

Paul

Geminid Meteor Shower to Peak This Weekend

The Geminid meteor showers are at their peak, and astronomers are predicting that the annual event will be one of the most spectacular of the year, with the light show peaking this weekend. Between 100 and 120 meteors are expected every hour, though the Full Cold Moon may make viewing somwhat of a challenge.

The meteor showers will begin after 9 p.m. and are best-viewed at night or during the pre-dawn hours. The meteors should be fairly easily seen from any portion of the night sky, though star gazers should wait for at least an hour to catch a glimpse of the event as the shower will appear in bursts.

The Geminids are a reliable meteor shower, offering perhaps 50 meteors per hour in a dark sky. They are the most prolific meteor showers of the year with rates as high as 120 meteors per hour under perfect conditions. 

However, you'll need to get away from city lights and find a wide open view of the sky. City, state and national parks are good, and you might be able to camp and make a night of it. Simply enjoy the comfort of a reclining lawn chair, the warmth of a sleeping bag, a thermos with a hot drink, and the company of family and friends, if they're willing to stay up and battle the cold!

The Geminids rank as one of the best meteor showers for the year in the Northern Hemisphere. You can also see this shower from the tropical and subtropical regions in the Southern Hemisphere. Farther south, the radiant of the Geminid meteor shower never gets very high in the sky, so the meteors are not as prevalent at temperate southerly latitudes.



This meteor shower gets its name from the constellation Gemini the Twins. If you trace the paths of all the Geminid meteors backward, they appear to radiate from the certain point in front of Gemini. This point is called the meteor shower radiant, and is located near the star Castor.

Most meteor showers take place when our planet Earth crosses the orbital path of a comet. The comet debris plunges into Earth’s upper atmosphere, and the vaporizing particles fill the night with meteors. But the Geminid meteor shower appears to be an oddity. The shower’s parent body appears to be a near-Earth asteroid, rather than a comet. Astronomers have named this object 3200 Phaethon.

Paul

Soaking Rain Expected Across Southwestern Connecticut

Approximately two-and-a-half inches of rain are expected across southwestern Connecticut through Thursday at 1 a.m. EST.

[image or embed]

— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) December 9, 2024 at 4:40 PM

Paul

Surprise Snowstorm Paralyzed Region 67 Years Ago Today

"They sure don't make 'em like they used to." How many times have you heard somebody say that? It applies to just about everything these days, especially our weather. Did you know that 67 years ago today a snowstorm virtually paralyzed southwestern Connecticut? Just about a half-foot of snow fell across the region, catching most everybody, including commuters and holiday shoppers, by surprise.

Officially, 5.1 inches of snow fell in Bridgeport on Wednesday, December 4, 1957, causing one of the greatest traffic jams in that city, according to The Bridgeport Post. The front-page article said that "Downtown streets were clogged with stalled traffic. The bumper-to-bumper situation persisted for five hours, delaying thousands of homeward-bound workers."



Many people were stranded temporarily when rides failed to show or scheduled buses ran well behind schedule. Bus lines and taxis reported many extra customers, but the traffic jam prevented them from reaching their destinations promptly. The New Haven Railroad reported that commuter trains were jammed all evening, but there were no train delays blamed on the storm.

Slowed to a snail's pace by the blinding snow, it took motorists an hour to an hour-and-a-half to travel from downtown Bridgeport to North Avenue. The greatest difficulty was crossing intersections clogged by autos inching along bumper-to-bumper. Cars standing in traffic for a prolonged period of time ran out of gas, adding to the confusion. Police noted numerous instances of car batteries and lights failing as cars stalled at intersections.



The weather bureau said a combination of unusual conditions caused the storm to pause at midday and strengthen a few hours later. The storm's intensification caught many people off guard and unprepared. The rapidly-falling snow created skidding hazards and all but erased the effects of the Department of Public Works' sanding operations earlier in the day.

The snowfall was the greatest in Bridgeport since a two-day storm in March of 1956 delivered 19.4 inches. Consider that the normal average snowfall for the entire month of December is 3.6 inches. Strong winds, especially during the evening and nighttime hours, caused considerable drifting of the snow 67 years ago today. Winds gusted over 35 to 40 miles an hour.

I wonder how many people remember that storm? If you do, I'd like to hear from you. I can only imagine what it must have been like for stranded motorists. They sure don't make 'em like they used to!

Paul

November Warmer and Drier Than Normal Across Southwestern Connecticut

Not surprisingly, the month of November was warmer and drier than normal across southwestern Connecticut.

The Bridgeport climate station recorded 2.90" of precipitation for November, which is 0.21" below normal. Eight of the 30 days (26%) featured measured precipitation.

The greatest 24 hour precipitation was 1.54" (November 21 & 22), while the most single day precipitation of 1.25" was recorded November 21.

The average monthly temperature for November was 49.5 degrees F, which is 3.5 degrees warmer-than-normal. The range was 81 degrees (November 1) and 30 degrees (November 30).

Only nine of the 31 days featured a below-average temperature, while 20 days were warmer-than-normal.

Paul