Beautiful Sunday Across Southwestern Connecticut

2/23/25 @ 11:45 a.m. EST: The air temperature is 42° F with an 18° dew point and a northwest breeze under a mostly sunny sky at Fairfield University.

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) February 23, 2025 at 11:53 AM

Paul

February 2.1° Colder-Than-Normal at Bridgeport Climate Station Through Friday

The average temperature this month at the Bridgeport climate station is 30.4° F, which is 2.1° colder-than-normal. Thirteen of the 21 days have featured below-average temperatures, including six of the last seven days.

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) February 22, 2025 at 9:44 AM

Paul

Marking the 22nd Anniversary of the Presidents Day Blizzard of 2003

Today, February 17, marks the 22nd anniversary of the unforgettable Presidents Day Blizzard of 2003. It ranked as the snowiest day on record at the time at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford, tying the previous mark of 16 inches established on December 19, 1948. In New York's Central Park, where records date back well over a century, the 19.8 inches ranked as the fifth snowiest single day total. The weather map below is from midday February 17, 2003.

The snowfall totals across southwestern Connecticut were impressive. Darien and New Canaan measured the most snow (20 inches), while Westport (19"), Bridgeport (17"), Norwalk (16"), and Milford (15") also posted impressive totals. New Fairfield, in Northern Fairfield County, led the way locally with exactly two feet of snow. Here is the satellite image of the massive storm.

The magnitude of the storm was quite impressive. It spread heavy snow across the major cities in the Northeast from Washington to Boston. In fact, it was the biggest snowstorm on record in Baltimore (28.2") and Boston (27.5"). The storm actually developed in the southern Rockies on February 14 and moved through southern Missouri and the lower Tennessee Valley over the next two days. Eventually, the storm brought heavy rain and severe weather to the deep South.

In the Northeast, Arctic air helped slow down the storm and kept all of the precipitation in the form of snow and some sleet. By late Sunday evening, February 16, the snow reached the New York City area, and by midnight, it was snowing across all of southwestern Connecticut. A secondary area of low pressure developed off the Virginia coast the morning of February 17, turning the Nor'easter into a full-blown blizzard.

Paul

Wind Advisory in Effect Through Monday Evening

A Wind Advisory will be in effect for Fairfield and New Haven counties from Sunday at 6 p.m. until Monday at 6 p.m. EST: forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.ph...

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) February 16, 2025 at 7:19 AM

Paul

Holiday Weekend Storm to Bring Snow, Ice, Rain, and Strong Winds to Southwestern Connecticut

This weekend's weather features snow, ice, rain, and strong winds across southwestern Connecticut. A Winter Weather Advisory will be followed by a High Wind Watch.

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) February 15, 2025 at 9:12 AM

A High Wind Watch will be in effect for Fairfield and New Haven counties from Sunday at 6 p.m. until Monday at 6 p.m. EST: forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.ph...

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) February 15, 2025 at 6:06 AM

Paul

Winter Weather Advisory This Weekend

A Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect for Fairfield and New Haven counties from Saturday at 12 p.m. until Sunday at 7 a.m. EST: forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.ph...

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) February 14, 2025 at 6:26 AM

Three to four inches of snow are expected across southwestern Connecticut through Sunday at 7 a.m. EST.

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) February 14, 2025 at 6:28 AM

Paul

Snow Totals for Winter Storm of February 8 & 9, 2025

Here are the latest snowfall totals from across the region, courtesy of the National Weather Service: forecast.weather.gov/product.php?...

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) February 9, 2025 at 11:28 AM

Paul

Winter Storm Warning This Weekend

A Winter Storm Warning will be in effect for Fairfield and New Haven counties from Saturday at 5 p.m. until Sunday at 11 a.m. EST: forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.ph...

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) February 7, 2025 at 4:23 PM

Paul

Today Marks 47th Anniversary of 'The Blizzard of 1978'

Today marks the 47th anniversary of the Blizzard of 1978. The unforgettable storm was "born" on February 5, 1978, with the merger of a Canadian high-pressure system to the North and a dense mass of low pressure off the Carolina coast. It will be remembered as one of the most destructive storms in recent memory.

What do I most remember about the blizzard? Connecticut's late Governor Ella Grasso closed all state highways due to the heavy snow; local schools were closed for several days; my next-door neighbor lost his car keys in a snow drift and didn't find them until the Spring; and I worked two straight days at WNAB where I had just landed my first radio job as the overnight announcer a half-year earlier.

The station program director, the late Tiny Markle, called me early in the day and asked me to prepare to work a 24-hour shift. Naturally, I was thrilled, but it took awhile packing my belongings for the trip to East Washington Avenue in Bridgeport. I watched as over two feet of snow fell, and the experience punctuated my fascination for weather.

As for the powerful storm, strong winds reached speeds of 86 miles per hour with gusts of 111 miles per hour during its peak. The lowest central air pressure was 980 millibars, which made the storm comparable to a strong Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale.

Arriving at the time of a new Moon, the storm produced heavy coastal flooding along the New England shoreline. Beachfront homes were washed away due to strong winds and coastal flooding. More than 1,700 homes suffered major damage or were destroyed, and 39,000 people took refuge in emergency shelters. Federal disaster assistance totaled $202 million.

Snow fell at a rate of four inches an hour at times during the storm, which lasted for 36 hours. The unusual duration of the 1978 Nor’easter was caused by the Canadian high, which forced the storm to loop East and then back toward the North. Thunder, lightning, and hail were seen in the blizzard as it blanketed the Northeast with over three feet of snow. Drifts in parts of New England were reported to be 15 feet deep.

Traffic came to a standstill as major corridors like I-95 shut down. During the storm several people died on Route 128 around Boston from asphyxiation, since snow had blocked the tailpipes of their idling automobiles. In New York City, skiers could be seen sliding up Fifth Avenue.

I will never forget the Blizzard of 1978.

Paul

Winter Weather Advisory

A Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect for Fairfield and New Haven counties Thursday from 4 a.m. until 1 p.m. EDT: forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.ph...

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) February 5, 2025 at 5:10 PM

Paul

Happy National Weatherperson's Day

Although I've never been an umpire or referee, I think I know what it must feel like. It's been said that nobody ever notices the umpire when he does a fine job. However, when the ump makes a bad call, everybody's on his back. You see, I was a television weather forecaster for southwestern Connecticut for 25 years. I never heard a word from anybody when the forecast was "right on the money." But, if my forecast was off the mark, the phone didn't stop ringing and the emails kept coming.

Today is National Weatherperson's Day. It's the one day during the year to acknowledge the work of weather forecasters across our country. The day commemorates the birth of John Jeffries in 1744. Jeffries was one of America's first weather observers. He actually began taking daily weather observations in Boston in 1774, and he took the first balloon observation in 1784.

Jeffries was an American physician and scientist who pioneered the use of balloons in scientific observation. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he graduated from Harvard University in Cambridge in 1763 and studied medicine in Boston and abroad. After receiving his medical degree from Marischal College in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1769, Jeffries returned to Boston and practiced medicine there until 1771.

Much to the chagrin of this modern-day weather forecaster, Jeffries supported England during the American Revolution. He served on British naval vessels and in British military hospitals, and he fought alongside British troops in the final campaign of the war. After the war, he moved to England and resumed practicing medicine.

Jeffries became interested in the possibility of using balloons to observe the upper winds and the atmosphere at various altitudes. On November 30, 1784, Jeffries and French aeronaut Jean Pierre Blanchard made an ascent from London, reaching a height of 9309 feet and taking a series of air samples.

A few weeks later, on January 7, 1785, they made the first aerial crossing of the English Channel, traveling in a balloon from Dover to the Forest of Guines, near Calais. Jeffries paid all expenses for the two ascents and provided a number of the best available observational instruments, including a thermometer, a barometer, an electrometer, a hygrometer, and containers of distilled water. The air samples taken on the first ascent were the first scientific data ever obtained from these altitudes.

Many of us take weather information for granted. Turn on a light switch, you get light. Turn on your television or radio, or check a web site, and you get the weather forecast. It’s easy to forget that around the clock, dedicated meteorologists and weathercasters are creating forecasts to help you plan your day and issuing warnings to help keep you safe.

Happy National Weatherperson's Day!

Paul

Punxsutawney Phil Predicts Six More Weeks of Winter

Punxsutawney Phil: "There's a shadow up here. Get ready for six more weeks of Winter this year." Happy Groundhog Day!

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) February 2, 2025 at 7:27 AM

Paul

Happy Groundhog Day

Today is Groundhog Day, which is an unofficial weather holiday around these parts. I always look forward to the annual prediction by the Keystone State's most famous rodent. Although the Winter hasn't been as severe as some recent ones, I'm looking forward to an early Spring. We'll know the answer early this morning when Punxsutawney Phil makes his prediction before 7:30 in front of a huge gathering of onlookers and fans.

So, how did Groundhog Day originate, anyway? The earliest known reference to Groundhog Day can be found at the Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center at Franklin and Marshall College. According to storekeeper James Morris' diary dated February 4, 1841, "Last Tuesday, the second, was Candlemas Day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the groundhog peeps out of his Winter quarters. If he sees his shadow, he pops back for another six-week nap. But if it remain cloudy, he remains out as the weather is to be moderate."

According to the Old English saying, "If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter has another flight. If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Winter will not come again." According to the Scottish, "If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there will be two Winters in the year." Finally, the Germans believe, "For as the Sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl until May. For as the snow blows on Candlemas Day, so far will the Sun shine before May."

Over the years, there have been several interesting anecdotes to Groundhog Day. For example, during Prohibition, Phil threatened to impose 60 weeks of Winter on the community if he wasn't allowed a drink. Phil traveled to Washington, DC, in 1986 to meet with President Reagan, and, one year later, he met Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornberg. In 1993, Columbia Pictures released the movie Groundhog Day, starring comedian Bill Murray, and Phil appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1995.

Following the release of the movie, annual crowds in excess of 30,000 have visited Gobbler's Knob. The spectacle has turned into a media event and has become quite commercial, too, with vendors hawking "Phil" tee-shirts, sweatshirts, a plastic Phil bank, Phil ornaments, and a classic Punxsutawney Phil cookbook. I wouldn't mind wearing one of those sweatshirts, in fact!

It is said that Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking the "elixir of life," a secret recipe. Phil takes one sip every summer at the Groundhog Picnic and it magically gives him seven more years of life. So the story goes, Punxsutawney Phil was named after King Phillip. Prior to being called Phil, he was called Br'er Groundhog. I'm one of Phil's biggest fans!

Happy Groundhog Day.

Paul

January Colder and Drier Than Normal Across Southwestern Connecticut

The average monthly temperature for January at the Bridgeport climate station was 30.1° F, which is 1.3° colder-than-normal. The range was 52° (Jan. 29) and 7° (Jan. 22).

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) February 1, 2025 at 9:47 AM

The Bridgeport climate station recorded 0.72" of precipitation in January, which is 2.46" less than the climatological average. Six of the 31 days (19%) featured measured precipitation.

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) February 1, 2025 at 9:50 AM

Paul