"And Rain Fell on the Earth for 40 Days and 40 Nights"

"And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." You may be familiar with the King James bible version of the book of Genesis, chapter seven, verse 12. That verse may very well apply to our weather across southwestern Connecticut since August 1. Over the last 40 days, we have received more than a foot of rain. Although it hasn't rained every single day, the weather pattern has been extremely wet.

Heavy downpours happened last night and early this morning, creating dangerous conditions on area roadways. Heavy showers and a possible thunderstorm will continue through midday before tapering this afternoon. However, local rivers and streams are swollen, and flooding of low-lying areas can be expected. A Flood Watch has been issued for Northern Fairfield County through this afternoon.

Nearly a half-inch (0.41") of rain fell yesterday, bringing the two-day total to 2.75 inches. Consider the normal rainfall for the first week of September is 0.80 inches. Cumulatively, since August 1, we've had 12.32 inches of rain, including the delgue from Tropical Storm Irene, and the heavy rain from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee. There have been 14 days with measured rain since the first of August, including five days with more than one inch. Here is a photo taken yesterday of the Mianus River in Stamford.

 

There have been three days with more than two inches of rain. They include August 14 (2.75"), August 28 (2.50"), and September 6 (2.34"). There were heavy rains on back-to-back days four times, including August 6 and 7 (1.26"), August 14 and 15 (3.17"), August 14 and 15 (3.17), and September 6 and 7 (2.75"). Today's rain will bring the three-day total to nearly three-and-a-half inches, which is the normal rainfall for the entire month.

Fortunately, our weather picture will gradually improve over the next couple of days. Tomorrow will become partly sunny, warmer, and more humid with a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm and a high near 80 degrees. There may be an early shower or two Saturday, but the day will feature a mix of sun and clouds with a high in the middle 70s. Sunday will be partly sunny with a high in the 70s.

"And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights." Tomorrow marks 40 days since August 1. It's about time our weather pattern changed.

Paul

100 Captured Moments of Hurricane Irene

Ralph Fato created the following video of Hurricane Irene. He wrote, "Just wanted to share a video I made from pictures of all different locations." This is outstanding. Thanks, Ralph.

Taking a Look at August by the Numbers

Tropical Storm Irene was the top weather story in southwestern Connecticut last month and that, not surprisingly, helped make August much wetter and warmer than normal. In fact, more than nine-and-a-half inches of rain fell during the month, which was nearly a half-foot above normal.

There were 12 days with measured rain last month, including 2.75" August 14 and 2.50" August 28, during Tropical Storm Irene. More than two inches of rain (2.17") fell over a two-day period on August 14 and 15, and the two-day total of 3.35" from August 27 and 28 capped four successive days of measured rain.

The average daily temperature in August was 74.8 degrees, one-and-a-half degrees above normal. The hottest temperature recorded last month was 92 degrees on August 2. The mercury also reached 90 degrees August 8. All but 11 days last month featured an average temperature at or above normal.

Tropical Storm Irene dropped the barometric pressure to 28.57" the morning of August 28. The peak wind gust was 63 miles an hour at daybreak last Sunday at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford. Three-to-nine inches of rain fell across much of the region during the storm. Linda of Norwalk sent this photo during the tropical storm.

The holiday weekend won't be a washout, but it won't be perfect, either. We'll see partly sunny skies with increasing humidity tomorrow. There is a slight chance of an isolated shower tomorrow afternoon. Sunday will be partly sunny and warm with a shower or thunderstorm with a high in the lower 80s. The best chance of showers and thunderstorms is Monday with a high near 80.

Have a great holiday weekend.

Paul

September Weather Preview

Where did the Summer go? It's hard to believe that Labor Day weekend --- the unofficial end of Summer --- is just about here, and most of us will be back to our regular routines of work and school. The holiday weekend won't be ideal, but it shouldn't be a complete washout, either. Saturday and Sunday will bring a threat of a shower or thunderstorm, and Monday, Labor Day, will be cloudy with periods of rain.

So what can we expect in September? Obviously, the changing of the seasons is the main story this month, but the loss of daylight continues to be a prominent feature through the end of the month. We'll enjoy over 13 hours of sunlight today with sunrise at 6:19 this morning and sunset at 7:26 this evening.

However, by the middle of the month, we will have lost nearly another half-hour of daylight. By the last day of the month, over a week after the Autumnal Equinox, the sunrise happens at 6:48 and the sunset is at 6:36. We'll have less than 12 hours of daylight by September 30.

As far as temperatures are concerned, the numbers will continue to decline through the end of the month. The average high and low temperatures for today are 78 and 62 degrees, respectively. By the middle of the month, the averages drop to 74 and 58, and by the end of September, the average high and low are 69 and 52 degrees, respectively.

The hottest temperature ever recorded in September in southwestern Connecticut was 99 degrees on September 2, 1953. The coolest reading ever recorded was 36 degrees, which happened three times --- September 21, 1956, September 24, 1963, and September 28, 1957. The warmest September on record happened in 1961 when the average temperature was 70.4 degrees. The coldest September occurred in 1963 with an average of 61.5 degrees.

September can be a fairly wet month. The average rainfall based on 40 years of climatology is 3.58 inches. The wettest September ever happened in 1960 when over a half-foot (7.42") of rain fell, while the driest September took place one year earlier in 1959 with only 0.43 inches recorded. There has never been any snow recorded in September.

The Autumnal Equinox takes place Friday, September 23, at 5:05 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, technically bringing "equal day and equal night" over the face of the Earth. The Autumnal Equinox officially signals the end of Summer and the beginning of Autumn. The Equinox is the point where nights reach the same length as days. As Autumn wears on, the Sun will continue to sink lower and lower in the sky until the Winter Solstice in about three months' time.

The Full Harvest Moon takes place on Monday, September 12, at 5:27 a.m. This is the Full Moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox. Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice-- the chief Indian staples--are now ready for gathering.

Enjoy the month of September.

Paul

Tropical Storm Irene

This video was edited and recorded by viewer Ralph Fato of Norwalk. He finally had his electricity restored after three days.



Paul

Time Lapse of Tropical Storm Irene

This is an outstanding time lapse taken during Tropical Storm Irene. Ralph Fato installed a camera by the water in New Rochelle, NY. The camera was 15 feet higher than the bottom of the pond. You will be amazed at this video.



Paul