Greenwich Point Photos at Sunset

Take a look at these photos taken late yesterday afternoon at Greenwich Point. Viewer Hilkka Schulz of Stamford wrote, "The weather tonight was cold, but there was extremely clear visibility. The attached photos were taken at Greenwich Point at sunset. You can see the skyline of New York in the horizon." These are great, Hillka. Thank you.

Paul

Roger Ludlowe Middle School's Sixth-Graders Shine as Weekly Weatherkids Stars

I visited with the sixth-graders at Roger Ludlowe Middle School in Fairfield this week. They thoroughly enjoyed the program, especially the experiments, trivia, and prizes.



"Thank you for your visit yesterday," wrote sixth-grade Science and Language Arts teacher Cynthia Fryman. "The students loved the experiments and of course being on TV."

I also had a blast with the kids. They were great!

Paul

Take Precautions When Walking on Snow & Ice

The recent snow a little more than a week ago left icy patches on walkways and driveways, causing tricky footing in the early morning hours. Did you know that "baby boomers," or those between 40 and 59 years of age, are the most prone to falling on ice? They accounted for 30 percent of the emergency room visits. Those who were hospitalized stayed an average of 3.6 days. That's according to a study released by the Canadian Institute for Health Management.

However, older age groups were more likely to be admitted to the hospital, with injuries serious enough to require longer stays. Over one-third of all people hospitalized after falling on ice were 60 to 79 years of age. They were hospitalized for 7.6 days, on average. The elderly stayed in the hospital the longest after a fall on ice. The average stay for those aged 80 and older was 14.5 days.

Dr. Joseph Chen, medical director of the Iowa Spine Research and Rehabilitation Center, suggests wearing appropriate boots. "Snow boots, even though they can track mud into your house, provide a lot more traction for your feet than do dress shoes or even tennis shoes," he said. "Take shorter steps, and try to plant your whole foot gently down instead of using the typical heel strike that we use when we're walking or running," he added.

If you do fall on the ice and know immediately you have hurt your back, Chen says you should slowly try to get up. "It may be a bit more difficult to get up on your hands and knees if there's a large patch of ice. Be extra careful, and then walk slowly, using an extra hand-hold if one is available." Most of the time, falls on the ice lead to a strain of some of the deep muscles in the back. "Try to do some stretching exercises and take it a bit easy for the next few hours," he pointed out. "If you're able to take some Tylenol or ibuprofen, that may be helpful too."

Just one bad fall on ice can have long-term consequences. These include chronic pain in the affected area, a disabling injury that may mean loss of independence, or the fear of another fall, which discourages a healthy, active lifestyle. Fortunately, more melting should occur today through the upcoming weekend as daytime high temperatures climb into the 40s, well above the 37-degree normal this time of the year. Some light rain is likely by Friday, but temperatures will climb into the 50s this weekend.

Paul

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