Coastal Flood Advisory for Southern Fairfield and New Haven Counties

A Coastal Flood Advisory will be in effect for southern Fairfield and New Haven counties Thursday and Friday evenings: forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.ph...

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) August 20, 2025 at 5:35 PM

Paul

Connie & Diane Battered Connecticut 70 Years Ago This Month

Long-time area residents will never forget August of 1955 when two of the most memorable hurricanes --- Connie and Diane --- battered the Northeast. Hurricane Connie soaked New England with torrential rains on August 13, 1955. Then, just five days later, Tropical Storm Diane followed suit creating massive flooding not seen since the 1930s. Take a look at the front page of The Bridgeport Telegram from August 20, 1955.

 

The combination of Connie and Diane yielded rainfall totals close to 25 inches in some areas, resulting in unprecedented flooding. Nearly all of the major rivers in the lower Connecticut Valley exceeded flood stage. Some rivers rose more than 20 feet over their banks. Read the Valley News archive of daily weather events from August of 1955 to gain a better understanding of the power of those two August hurricanes.

While the two hurricanes affected the entire Atlantic coast, Connecticut suffered the most damage. For example, of the 180 lives that were lost, 77 were in Connecticut. Of the 680 million dollars in property damage, over 350 million dollars occurred in Connecticut. Over 200 dams in New England suffered partial to total failure. Many of these were in the area immediately south of Worcester, in the Thames and Blackstone headwaters. Here is a photo of Winsted, Connecticut, virtually devastated following the flood.

   

If August was not bad enough, two months later, a four day storm dumped an additional 12-14 inches of rain in southwestern New England. This event was not as widespread as the August storms, but record flood levels were achieved in some locations of the Housatonic and Hudson River basins.

Paul

Southwestern Connecticut "Abnormally Dry" According to Latest Drought Monitor Index

The latest Drought Monitor Index as of August 14, 2025, indicates that most of southwestern Connecticut is "abnormally dry."

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) August 16, 2025 at 1:49 PM

Paul

"Dog Days of Summer" Officially Come to a Close Today

Today, Monday, August 11, is the last day of the 40-day period known as "The Dog Days of Summer" in the Northern Hemisphere. It lasts from July 3 through August 11 and includes the 20 days before and 20 days after the alignment of Sirius, the dog star, with the Sun.

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) August 11, 2025 at 6:41 AM

Paul

Last Sunset at 8 p.m. or Later in Fairfield Until May 10, 2026

Friday evening's sunset in Fairfield is at 8:01 p.m. EDT, marking the last time the Sun will set at 8 p.m. or later until May 10, 2026. Saturday's sunset is at 7:59 p.m.

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) August 8, 2025 at 6:29 AM

Paul

August's Full Sturgeon Moon Happens This Saturday, August 9, 2025

You may have noticed a huge orange disc in the sky last night. The Full Sturgeon Moon happens this Saturday, August 9, 2025, at 3:55 a.m. EDT.  

So, how did the August full Moon get its name? The fishing tribes are given credit for naming it, since sturgeon, a large fish of the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water, were most readily caught during this month. A few tribes knew it as the Full Red Moon because, as the Moon rises, it appears reddish through any sultry haze. It was also called the Green Corn Moon or Grain Moon.

Thunder and lightning are quite frequent with Summer storms in August. So, this month’s full Moon also goes by the name of the Lightning Moon for the Summer thunderstorms. Other names given to the Moon in August are the Red Moon and the Dog Moon. 

Full Moon names date back to the days of the Native Americans, in what is now the Northern and Eastern United States.

The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.

Paul

Today Marks Midpoint of Summer in Northern Hemisphere

Today marks the midpoint of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The Summer Solstice happened 47 days ago (June 20), and the Autumn Equinox is 47 days from now (September 22).

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) August 6, 2025 at 7:40 AM

Paul

July Warmer and Drier Than Normal Across Southwestern Connecticut

The average monthly temperature for July at the Bridgeport climate station was 78.2° F, which is 2.5° warmer-than-normal. The range was 96° (July 29) and 61° (July 5). There were eight days with a high temperature of 90° or warmer.

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) August 1, 2025 at 7:43 AM

The Bridgeport climate station recorded 1.35" of precipitation in July, which is nearly two inches below normal (3.32"). There were only seven days with at least one-tenth of an inch of rain.

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) August 1, 2025 at 7:47 AM

Paul