Today Marks 17th Anniversary of Blizzard of 1996

I hope you had the opportunity to get outside and enjoy the wonderful January sunshine yesterday. The afternoon high temperature climbed to 43 degrees at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford, which is six degrees above the normal high for this time of the year. No major storms are expected through this week with daytime high temperatures in the 40s.

It was quite different 17 years ago, though. Did you know that today marks the anniversary of The Blizzard of 1996? That snowstorm still ranks as one of the most memorable in my nearly-18 years of providing the morning weather forecasts at News 12 Connecticut. In fact, it was one of only two times I stayed the night and slept in the weathercenter due to the heavy snow and strong, gusty winds.

The storm actually started late-morning, Sunday, January 7, as light snow overspread the entire Northeast. The snow gradually became heavier through the afternoon, and by evening, roads were just about impassable due to the rapid accumulation. By the time the storm began moving away the following day, nearly two feet of snow blanketed much of southwestern Connecticut.

The two-day snow total at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Statford was 15 inches, including seven inches on January 7 and eight on January 8. That eclipsed the snow total of the so-called March 13, 1993 "Storm of the Century," which was 10.8 inches. Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks received 18.2 inches, just shy of the 21-inch record snowfall at the time, but more than the 14.8 inches just three years earlier.

Central Park in New York City recorded 20.2 inches of snow, making it the third highest snowfall at the time. Staten Island measured more than 27 inches of snow, and  LaGuardia International Airport recorded 24 inches, which exceeded the normal for the entire season of 22.6 inches.

An Arctic air mass covered New England as a massive storm developed over Virginia. The storm was actually energized by a 60-degree surface temperature contrast across western Montana which propelled a 175-mile-an-hour wind in the jet stream southward into the Plains causing the storm to form. This storm eventually brought the heavy snow from western North Carolina to southern New England.

Incredibly, the eastern slopes of the Appalachian Mountains from northern Virginia to Pennsylvania measured more than three feet of snow. The following map shows just how impressive the storm was. Southwestern Connecticut fell within the 15 to 20 inch range as far as total snow accumulations, with the heaviest amounts of 30 inches across southeastern Pennsylvania. The lightest amounts, oddly, fell well to the North.



It's hard to believe that 17 years have passed since the January blizzard of 1996. There aren't any worries about significant snow or Arctic cold over the next few days. In fact, quiet weather is expected the next several days with daytime high temperatures above normal for this time of the year. The next chance of any precipitation happens Friday, and it will be rain instead of snow.

Paul

Seasonal Snowfall on Par With Snowier Cities

Local climatologist Ralph Fato put together a pie chart of the snow totals to date for these select locations. The results are interesting, considering the fact that Connecticut has received more or the same amount as these cities, which are known to be snowy.

Here are the 63-year average for these locations. Take note of Bridgeport's average and its comparison to  the others. Chicago: 41.5”, Bridgeport: 27.5”, Hartford: 47.8”, Minneapolis: 51.6”, and Denver: 58.6” 

Thanks, Ralph.

Paul

Earth at Closest Point to the Sun in Annual Orbit

Even though this morning's low temperatures featured some of the coldest readings in quite some time, the early Winter is the time of the year when the Earth is nearest to the Sun. In fact, Wednesday morning at midnight, when the temperature was only in the 20s, the Earth was closer to the Sun than at any other time in 2013. This is when the Earth is at perihelion.

Since last July, the Earth has been falling ever closer to the Sun. Every moment since then, our planet has edged closer to the nearest star in the universe. The Earth’s orbit around the Sun is not a perfect circle. It’s actually an ellipse, so sometimes we’re closer to the Sun, and sometimes farther away. Various factors change the exact date and time every year, but aphelion (when we’re farthest from the Sun) happens in July, and perihelion (when we’re closest) in January.



At perihelion, our planet is about 91 million miles from the Sun. It moves outward to about 95 million miles from the Sun at aphelion. So, the Earth is about three percent farther from the Sun at aphelion than it is at perihelion. Naturally, some people have the mistaken impression that our seasons are caused by the changes in Earth's distance from the Sun, but this is not the case.

The temperatures and the seasons are not affected by the proximity of the Earth to the Sun or even the rotation of the planet on its axis. Rather, it is the tilt of the Earth that determines the climate. When it is at perihelion in January, the Earth is tilted away from the Sun in the Northern Hemisphere, and the sunlight is not "getting a direct hit" on the Earth's atmosphere. However, when it is at aphelion in July, the Earth is tilted toward the Sun.

So, as you bundle up and head outside on the second day back to work and school for many people after a long holiday break, take comfort in the fact that the Earth is closer to the Sun today than it is in the middle of Summer. I'm sure that's of little consolation, though, with a daybreak temperature in the single digits inland and the teens along the immediate shoreline. Today's high temperatures will hold in the mid-to-upper 20s this afternoon. Remember, though, it's the thought that counts.

Paul

Late December Snowstorm Pushed Seasonal Total to Nearly a Foot-and-a-Half

A storm system brought significant snow to Eastern Connecticut and plowable snow across Fairfield County yesterday. The late-December storm, which arrived early Saturday afternoon, intensified as it moved away to the East, delivering nearly a 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 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 last year's total (4.0") through December 30. It was the fourth day with measured snowfall in December and the eighth day this 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 over a half foot (7.0"), and Milford had nearly a half-foot (5.0").

Paul

Full Long Night Moon Happens Early Friday Morning

I'm sure you've been noticing the waxing Moon over the last week. In case you're wondering, the Full Moon happens early tomorrow at 5:21 EST. We should be able to get a good view of our satellite tonight as skies will remain mostly clear. Not surprisingly, this month's Full Moon is known as either the Full Cold Moon or the Full Long Night Moon.

Why is it called the Full Long Night Moon? During December, the Winter cold fastens its grip in the Northern Hemisphere, and nights are at their longest and darkest. The term Long Night Moon is also an appropriate name because the early Winter night is long, and because the Moon is above the horizon for a long time. The midwinter full Moon has a high trajectory across the sky because it is opposite a low Sun.

In fact, the December Full Moon has been referred to as the Oak Moon, the Frost Moon, the Cold Moon, and the Moon Before Yule. No matter what the name, the Full Moon in December is directly opposite the Sun; therefore it is out for a long time. Since the Moon appears to follow nearly the same path as the Sun in the sky, the amount of time the Moon spends above the horizon varies as it orbits the Earth. The Moon is Full when it is opposite the Sun in the sky, so a Full Moon rises roughly at sunset and sets at sunrise. Therefore, we only see Full Moons at night.

Six months from now, on the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year when the Sun spends the most time above the horizon, the Full Moon spends the least amount of time above the horizon. On the other hand, on the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year when the Sun spends the least time above the horizon, the Full Moon spends the most amount of time above the horizon. The time spent above the horizon each night for the Full Moon varies throughout the year about as much as the length of the day.

As far as the forecast goes, sunny skies are expected Friday before a storm system arrives this weekend. Snow will develop Saturday morning and continue through much of the day. By the time the system exits the region by midnight, three-to-five inches will coat the ground, making travel quite difficult. A gusty Northwest wind will develop in the wake of the system by Sunday, but no precipitation is likely through Monday.

Paul

Powerful Blizzard Two Years Ago Today 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 two 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've been working the early-morning shift at News 12 Connecticut since June of 1995, and in those 17-plus years, there have been 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 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.



Another storm is bearing down on southwestern Connecticut later this evening and tonight. The precipitation will start as snow late this afternoon, but gradually change to rain from South to North as an East wind begins to gust between 50 and 60 miles an hour. A Coastal Flood Warning will be in effect from 8 o'clock this evening through midnight, while a High Wind Warning will be in effect for the shoreline from 4 p.m. through 6 a.m. Be prepared for power outages and localized flooding of low-lying areas. One-to-two inches of rain may fall by tomorrow morning.

Paul