Severe Drought Magnifies Brush Fire Danger

A severe drought exists across southwestern Connecticut. Recently, it seems as though there is a brush fire story in the region just about every day. The fire danger remains quite high, and it looks as though there won't be any rain through the end of this week. Officials are urging people not to start any outdoor fires. The unusually dry April weather is certainly cause for concern. In fact, this calendar year is much drier than normal.

Since January 1, we've received less than six inches (5.91") of rain, which is more than a half-foot below the 12.09" normal through this date. Last year, we had a whopping 14.44" during the same time frame. That's quite a difference. The last three months, however, have been especially dry, with just a little more than three inches of rain since February 1. This is the driest April on record thus far, with less than a third of an inch of rain measured.

April's precipitation summary is quite alarming. There have been just two days with more than one-hundredth of an inch of rain this month. Other than a healthy 0.27" of rain on the first day of the month, we've had only 0.04" the last two weeks. The ground is parched during what is normally one of the wettest months of the year. Some of the heaviest rains in recent memory have happned in March, including a Nor'easter which brought over a half-foot of rain to some local communities five years ago today.

March was quite dry, too. The total rainfall (1.04") was more than three inches below normal, and more than ten inches below the record of 10.19" set just two years ago. There were only nine days with measured rain, including the first three days of the month. However, just six wet days were recorded over the last 25 days of March, accounting for just a little more than a half-inch (0.56"). The driest March on record happened in 1981 when just 0.69" of precipitation fell.

February was another dry month. The monthly total of 1.58" was far short of the 2.79" normal for the month. There were only eight days with measured rain, including a four-day stretch of 0.26" from February 15 through February 18. However, nearly an inch of rain (0.94") happened February 24. A nine-day dry streak from February 2 through February 10 set the tone for the month, which was capped by more than a quarter-inch (0.27") February 29.

It looks like some much-needed rain is headed our way by this weekend. I, for one, will welcome the rain. The lawn, flowers, and bushes certainly need Mother Nature's sprinkler system. For the first time in recent memory, I have seen many people watering their lawns and gardens in April. That's quite unusual. Let's hope this weekend's rain puts a damper on the fire danger across southwestern Connecticut.

Paul

Remembering the Nor'easter Five Years Ago Today

Hello.
We need rain badly. We are experiencing severe drought conditions across southwestern Connecticut with less than a third-of-an-inch of rain thus far this month. Since January 1, rainfall is running more than a half-foot below normal. The fire danger remains quite high the next several days before some much-needed rain arrives this coming weekend.

Our weather was anything but dry five years ago today. The Nor'easter of Sunday, April 15, 2007, caused widespread flooding, damage, and destruction to many homes and businesses across southwestern Connecticut. My basement was a disaster area, and the sight of water pouring into the cellar through the walls was alarming. Many local communities received well over a half-foot of rain in one day, including an incredible 7.50 inches in Weston.

Our viewers became an active part of the News 12 Connecticut weather team with their weather observations, comments, and photos. They always come through for us in major storms, and that day was no exception. Geoff Wood of Darien sent the adjacent photo of his home on Crimmins Road in Darien. "For us, this is the second time we have been flooded out of our house in six weeks," he wrote. Many people shared his pain.



Perhaps no picture better illustrates the destruction of the Nor'easter better than this one. Viewer Donna Dutko sent this photo of "the little pink antique store at the corner of Route 7 and Branchville Station." As you can see, the store collapsed from the force of the water and was partially submerged. The water was almost up to the railroad tracks, too.



Judy Callirgos of Redding sent many photos of the flooding on her street, in her yard, and around her home. "I live on the Saugatuck and my house was truly an island yesterday," she wrote. "I had to create a dam at the end of my driveway to divert the water." Redding also received over a half-foot of rain, leading to flooding problems throughout town.



Cynthia Zizzi of the Cos Cob section of Greenwich sent several photos along upper Valley Road in North Mianus. Cynthia wrote, "Paul, I walk my dog, Dodger, a golden retriever, every day weather permitting, and these are some of my favorite views. The best is the old foundation. I believe it was an old home or could have been part of the woolen mill that burned in 1938."



Sheridan Black of Milford forwarded some photos from Bayview Beach of waves crashing against homes along the shoreline. She wrote, "Last night (Sunday night), I decided to stay the night at my beach house with my aunt and uncle. The whole road was flooded and the water came right up to the deck. The water is usually 30 feet away from the house, and now, if I wanted to, I could stand on the deck and touch it."



Stamford recorded nearly seven inches of rain (6.84"), causing massive flooding of roads and headaches for motorists. Martin Silverman told of "the extreme road conditions at the intersection of High Ridge Road and Wire Mill." Notice the plow attempting to push the standing water off High Ridge Road near the Merritt Parkway. I've heard many stories from motorists who had to find alternate routes or who were stranded on flooded roads during the height of the flooding.



Darien received nearly a half-foot of rain (5.93"). Richard Miller took this photo of Hoyt Street Sunday afternoon, April 15, at 4 o'clock. He jokingly wrote, "I thought I would share this with you before we go for a lap swim." As you can see, driving was dangerous just about everywhere.



New Canaan was another community which received nearly a half-foot of rain (5.40"). John Festo sent us several pictures of Mill Pond overflowing its banks. It almost looks as though the force of the raging water is about to cover the bridge and send it sailing downstream. Also, the banks of the river were already flooded.



The view from Fairfield Beach was wet and windy. Kathy wrote, "This is a view of my backyard. I live one block from Fairfield Beach on Reef Road. My yard is flooded from the rain only, and now we are waiting for high tide to see if we need to evacuate. It was so windy we could lean into the wind, and it held us up." Fairfield was one of the communities which received well over a half-foot of rain (6.55") in one day.



As for April 15, 2012, Mother Nature is delivering Summerlike weather across the region. We'll see partly sunny skies with afternoon high temperatures climbing into the 70s, well above the 57-degree normal high temperature for the date. Extremely dry conditions will continue through the rest of the week before rain arrives this coming weekend.

Paul

Annual Visit to West School in New Canaan a "Hit" With Fourth-Grade Weatherkids

One of my favorite stops on my annual Weatherkids tour is West School in New Canaan. One of the administrators is a neighbor of mine and a former classmate from Andrew Warde High School in Fairfield. The fourth-graders are always excited for the hour-long program. This year was no exception.

The theme of this year's visit was baseball. Two of the fourth-graders had batting practice during the taped class introduction, and the entire class sang a unique version of a classic seventh-inning stretch song.

What a great bunch of kids!

West School's Fourth-Grade Weatherkids by PaulWXman

Paul

Milford Brush Fire Highlights Danger of Red Flag Warning

A Red Flag Warning remains in effect through this evening for high fire danger across Connecticut. The warning was issued due to the gusty winds, extremely dry ground, and low humidity levels in the atmosphere. This is the eighth straight day without any rain across the region.

Firefighters are battling a massive brush fire in Milford late today. Train service was shut down for hours due to the flames. The fire started during the evening commute in the woods behind Bridgeport Avenue where many car dealers are located, and the blaze almost spread to a hotel and church.


Milford brush fire by PaulWXman

We've measured just 5.87" of precipitation since January 1. That's nearly a half-foot below the 11.21" normal through this date. Last year, 13.23" fell through the same period. Some isolated showers are possible tomorrow and Wednesday, but a steady rain is what's needed for the area.

Paul

Today Marks 30th Anniversary of Snowiest April Day on Record

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the snowiest April day on record in southwestern Connecticut. Take a look out the window today, and it's hard to imagine that exactly a half-foot of snow fell on April 6, 1982. What made the storm even more memorable were the gusty winds and cold temperatures. Record lows of 19, 18, and 23 degrees were established from April 6 through April 8, 1982, respectively, well below the 38-degree normal low temperature for this time of the year.

The snowstorm of Tuesday, April 6,1982, was one of the most remarkable late season snowfalls to strike the Northeast. Snowfall accumulations from 10 inches to over a foot occurred over much of Long Island, but the accompanying very cold temperatures and high winds caused extensive blowing and drifting of snow which was unprecedented for early April. Take a look at the following photo from New York City during the height of the storm.



More than a foot of snow (13") fell at Newark, New Jersey, 10 inches (9.8") blanketed New York City, and over two feet of snow was measured in upstate New York. The primary storm resurfaced off the New Jersey coast, producing gale force winds of up to 60 miles an hour. It was the heaviest April snow in New York City since April 3 and 4 of 1915 when 10 inches fell.

The heavy snow forced the cancellation of the Yankees’ 1982 home opener against the Rangers at Yankee Stadium. Even worse, the weather stayed cold, and the Yanks cancelled another game against Texas, two games against the White Sox, and they eventually opened on Easter Sunday, April 11, 1982, by dropping both ends of a doubleheader to Chicago.

While the storm of 30 years ago had a mid-Winter look and feel, today will be much quieter across southwestern Connecticut. Another sunny and breezy day is ahead, and the fire danger remains quite high with low humidity, gusty breezes, and extremely dry ground. High temperatures will reach the mid-to-upper 50s. That's nothing like the weather we experienced 30 years ago today.

Paul

Clear Skies Afford Great View of April's Full Pink Moon

Our stretch of splendid weather will continue today and through the upcoming Easter weekend under sunny skies and seasonable temperatures. We'll be able to see April's Full Pink Moon later tonight under clear skies. A Freeze Watch is in effect for Southern Fairfield and Southern New Haven counties for late tonight and early tomorrow.

The first Full Moon of Spring, however, is usually designated as the Paschal Full Moon or the Paschal Term. Traditionally, Easter is observed on the Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon. So if the Paschal Moon occurs on a Sunday, Easter is the following Sunday. Following these celestial rules, we know that Easter can fall as early as March 22 and as late as April 25.

Although the Moon won't be completely full until 3:19 p.m. EDT tomorrow, it will certainly appear full tonight. How did the Full Pink Moon get its name? The name comes from the herb moss pink, or wild ground phlox, which is one of the earliest widespread flowers of the Spring. Other names for this month’s celestial body include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon, and the Full Fish Moon, because this was the time that the shad swam upstream to spawn.

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 them names to each recurring Full Moon. The names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There have been some variations of the Moon names but, in general, the same ones were applied throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.



Farmers are encouraged to transplant during a Full Moon, when the lunar flower force is supposedly strong. The moisture content becomes low during the waning phase and less sap is rising in the trees and shrubs, so it’s a good time to do your pruning and attack weeds. According to lunar planting folklore, root plants should go into the ground during a waning Moon. It is also the best time to turn over the soil.

Paul