Vernal Equinox Happens Tomorrow

Today is the last full day of Winter. However, Old Man Winter has no intentions of packing his bags and leaving just yet. Another Winter storm brought up to five inches of snow to Westport and Weston last night and caused many school delays this morning. Spring officially arrives in the Northern Hemisphere tomorrow morning at 7:02 Eastern Daylight Time. That's when the direct rays of the Sun pass over the Equator, technically creating "equal day and equal night" over the face of the Earth.

I've always observed the change of seasons with more reverence and awe than New Year's Eve. After all, the beginning of a new year is an arbitrary date which can actually be recognized just about any time during the year. However, an equinox or a solstice is a much more meaningful "event" and can be explained astronomically. The time is exact and changes every year although, for the most part, the date doesn't vary much.

The change of seasons is due to the 23.4 degree tilt of the Earth's axis. Because of the tilt, we receive the Sun's rays most directly in the Summer. In the Winter, when we are tilted away from the Sun, the rays pass through the atmosphere at a greater slant, bringing lower temperatures. If the Earth rotated on an axis perpendicular to the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, there would be no variation in day lengths or temperatures throughout the year, and we would not have seasons.

Now that Winter is just about in our rear-view mirror, how did we fare as far as snow is concerned? Officially, more than five feet (64.3") of snow fell this season, making it the fourth snowiest on record at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford. That's more than double the 25.3" normal through yesterday and well above the 13.6" which fell last year. This season's snowfall eclipsed the 62.6" total from two years ago.

The weather will be anything but Springlike the rest of the week. Daytime temperatures will struggle to reach the lower 40s through Friday. There will be an offshore storm Thursday which may brush the region with a few flurries. Consider the normal high temperature for this time of the year is 48 degrees. By this weekend, our temperatures should return close to normal, though, with daytime highs in the upper 40s.

Happy Spring!

Paul

Snow & Ice Storm Struck Region Six Years Ago Today

It looks like we'll enjoy the luck of the Irish across southwestern Connecticut today. It will be mostly sunny, breezy, and cold with daytime highs in the upper 30s to close to 40 degrees. That's well below normal for this time of the year. Another Winter Storm is poised to arrive Monday evening through Tuesday morning, bringing snow, sleet, and rain to the region. Six years ago today, Old Man Winter was still going strong, delivering an unforgettable snow and ice storm.

I experienced one of the most difficult drives to work in my many years of providing morning weather to our viewers, Saturday, March 17, 2007. My car was a block of ice. My kitchen door froze after I shut it, locking me out of my own house while I attempted to get into the car. The battle with the car door to get it open took me about 10 minutes. And, I had to wake my son out of a sound sleep to accompany me on my harrowing drive to work.

The drive was, without question, extremely difficult. The roads were covered with ice and snow, and snow plows created some embankments at intersections, making it difficult to drive through the mounds of snow and ice. I got stuck twice in "cakes" of snow and ice. Our morning news anchor told me he "did a 360" on the turnpike, and he was obviously unnerved before we went on the air.

According to Lieutenant Paul Vance of the Connecticut State Police who appeared on our morning newscast that day, "Troopers have responded to over 477 accidents. We've been non-stop, busy, constantly during this whole storm. There are really treacherous conditions out there," emphasized Vance. "Many motorists have been stuck."

The storm began on Friday, March 16, 2007, with a moderate snow blanketing the region. The numbers were very impressive for mid March. Easton (6.5 inches), Fairfield (6.4"), New Canaan (6.0"), and Darien (6.0") each received at least a half-foot of snow unofficially. Even Bridgeport (5.0") had substantial snow. The average monthly snow for March is 4.3 inches based on 40 years of climatology. One of our viewers sent this photo from Norwalk.

"It was a tough storm," admitted John Kerry of the Department of Transportation storm center. "We're telling people that if they can hold off on their travel they will probably be in a lot better shape. We are seeing spin outs because the roads are slippery." One snow plow driver was asked by News 12 Connecticut's Kristi Olds if this was the worst storm of the Winter. "This one was," he answered immediately. "This one was by far the toughest. All the snow, the ice, and wind. It was tough!"

Nora Massella of Milford, who is a devoted viewer to our morning newscasts, sent this photo of her home and neighborhood. Nora wrote, "Paul, my husband, Mike, tried to get out and it was impossible. When he put down onto the snow, it was thick, thick ice. In order to get rid of this ice, you have to chop it and crack it in order to get rid of it. Our cars are frozen closed."

The Vernal Equinox is just three days away, but Winter is refusing to let go. A couple of inches of snow and ice and expected Monday night into early Tuesday along with gusty winds. Temperatures will remain in the lower 40s through the end of the week.

Paul

March is the Most Unpredictable Month of the Year

If Wednesday's blog entry didn't convince you about the unpredictability of March weather in southwestern Connecticut, yesterday's weather most certainly did. Thursday's high temperature was just 38 degrees at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford, which is eight degrees below normal and more in line with what we would expect in early February. However, one year ago yesterday the high temperature was a record-breaking 70 degrees. 

The chart above illustrates the contrast between yesterday's high temperatures and the highs from one year ago in six select locations. The mercury couldn't escape the 30s in Central Park and LaGuardia Airport Thursday afternoon, while the normal high temperature in both locations is just about 50 degrees. One year ago, both locations recorded a high temperature of 70 degrees.

A gusty Northwest wind made it feel even colder yesterday. The highest wind speed was 28 miles an hour, and the highest wind gust was clocked at 37 miles an hour at the airport, producing wind chill values in the upper teens to low-to-mid 20s. The average wind speed yesterday was over 15 miles an hour.

Today won't be quite as windy or as cold as yesterday, but there is a chance of a shower late in the day. An early rain or snow shower is possible tonight with low temperatures dropping into the upper 20s inland and lower 30s along the shoreline. We'll enjoy the Luck of the Irish this weekend with daytime high temperatures in the lower 40s each day. Saturday will be partly sunny, while Sunday --- St. Patrick's Day --- will be mostly sunny and seasonably cool.

Paul

Memorable Day in Local Weather History

Three of the most unforgettable weather events in recent history happened on this date. Two memorable storms and an all-time record high temperature for the Spring season occurred on March 13, highlighting the unpredictability of the weather this time of the year. If you're of a certain age, I'm sure you remember all three weather "events."

As hard as it may seem to believe, the temperature climbed to an incredible 84 degrees at Sikorsky Memorial Airport on March 13, 1990. That established a record high for the date, month, and the Winter season. The normal high temperature for this date is only 45 degrees, and the normal low is a chilly 31. Although it will feel rather mild today with the mercury climbing close to 50 degrees, it's still about 35 degrees cooler than that Summerlike day 23 years ago.

During March, a battle rages between the Spring and Winter seasons, and that makes predicting the temperatures during this month as difficult as any time during the year. The amount of daylight continues to grow each day, and the Vernal Equinox, the first day of Spring, is a week away. But, Old Man Winter has no intentions of packing his bags just yet.

I distinctly remember watching the temperature climb that day due to a strong Westerly wind. The wind direction was extremely important, since the flow didn't come from the cooler waters on Long Island Sound. I was the evening weather anchor at News 12 Connecticut 23 years ago, and our "weather video" showed people flocking to a local beach to soak up the sun and warm temperatures. I'll never forget that day.

Then, just three years later, Saturday, March 13, 1993, the famed Storm of the Century pounded the Eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine. Locally, over a foot of snow fell across southwestern Connecticut, winds gusted over 40 miles an hour, and wind chills hovered at or close to zero throughout the day. It was the second snowiest day on record for March, and it will always be remembered because it affected such a large area.

Very heavy snow accumulated in the south. Birmingham, Alabama, picked up a foot of snow. Snow covered the ground from Mississippi to the Florida Panhandle. The heavy snow spread northward along the East Coast to Maine. On Saturday, March 13, every airport in the Eastern states was closed. Snowfall ranged up to four feet on Mount Mitchell, North Carolina. Atlanta, Georgia, picked up three inches. Chattanooga, Tennessee, received up 21 inches. During the peak of the storm, about 30 percent of the entire country was hit by the rough weather.



Very warm, humid air moved across central Florida and, combined with the energy of the storm, helped spawn the 27 tornadoes. Winds were clocked at 99 mph on an oil platform off the Louisiana coast. Overall the storm took 285 lives, mostly because of tornadoes. The storm became the costliest nontropical storm in Florida's history. States of emergency were declared throughout the eastern portion of the country. The adjacent map shows the total snowfall for the storm.

I was called in for storm coverage that Saturday morning, and we remained on the air for more than 12 hours. Aside from the heavy snow, what I remember most from that day was the rapidly falling barometer. The pressure dropped to 28.35 inches in parts of New England, which is usually only observed in hurricanes. They peak at almost the exact opposite time of the year. By comparison, the normal average barometer reading for southwestern Connecticut is 30.02 inches.



The storm was deepening and intensifying as it moved toward New England, and the howling winds didn't let up. In the wake of the storm, back-to-back record low temperatures of 16 and 12 degrees were established on March 14 and 15, respectively, at Sikorsky Airport.

Then, three years ago, a powerful Nor'easter hammered Connecticut and, specifically, Fairfield County. The damaging wind gusts of 60 to 65 miles an hour, flooding rains, massive power outages, impassable roads, and week-long school closings won't soon be forgotten. We received incredible videos and photos of the widespread destruction across southwestern Connecticut. The following photos were sent by News 12 Connecticut viewers.



Former Governor M. Jodi Rell announced that the storm caused more than $7 million in damage statewide, and she requested a visit from Federal Emergency Management Agency officials to assess the damage. The Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security estimated $2.8 million worth of damage in Fairfield County alone. Fairfield County qualified for federal disaster assistance.



Preliminary damage estimates in Norwalk totaled more than $335,000, and damage to private homes was even greater. Damage to public buildings and parks, and the cost of funding police, fire, and city employee overtime reached about $335,065, according to the city's director of finance. The scoreboard at Brien McMahon High School was the single most expensive piece of property destroyed in the storm. It was estimated at $18,000.



Stamford officials estimate private property damage at $3.58 million. Damage to public property was estimated at $262,000, and total overtime for city crews at $143,086. Tens of thousands of people lost power, and three school systems were closed for a week. Heavy rain delivered up to one-half inch per hour during the afternoon of March 13. Here is a sampling of area rainfall totals for that day:

• New Canaan: 4.34"
• Easton: 4.33"
• Wilton: 4.01"
• Stratford: 3.33"
• Woodbridge: 3.12"
• Westport: 2.97"
• Milford: 2.91"

Fortunately, the weather should be fairly quiet the remainder of the week. Today will become partly sunny, breezy, and mild with a possible shower and a high temperature in the upper 40s to close to 50 degrees. Tonight will feature an early spot shower, followed by partial clearing with a low of 25 to 30 degrees. Tomorrow will bring a mix of sun and clouds, but it will be windy and colder with a high in the upper 30s. The next chance at any precipitation happens this Saturday with a few showers.

Paul

March Snowstorm Pushes Season Total Over 60 Inches

A three-day storm which featured strong winds, minor-to-moderate coastal flooding, and over a half-foot of snow across much of southwestern Connecticut pushed the season snowfall total to more than five feet. The snow began late Thursday evening and began accumulating as temperatures dropped into the lower 30s Thursday night. By the time the snow tapered off this afternoon, some local communities received over a foot of snow.

Here is a sampling of local snowfall totals through early this afternoon:

• New Canaan: 12.3"
• Greenwich: 10.0"
• Redding: 10.0"
• Norwalk: 8.5"
• Stamford: 8.0"
• Weston: 7.0"
• Bridgeport: 6.0"

The seasonal snowfall eclipsed 60 inches (61.3"), which is just shy of the 62.6" of snow two years ago. Officially, nine inches of snow fell at Sikorsky Memorial Airport today, breaking the record of 3.5" on this date in 2005 and pushing the monthly snow total to ten inches. This Winter may finish in the top five for snowfall on record in southwestern Connecticut. Michael Blake of Milford took this photo from his home early this morning. The heavy, wet snow created a picturesque setting.

Here are the snowiest Winters on record in southwestern Connecticut:

• 1995-96: 76.8"
• 1933-34: 71.3"
• 1947-48: 65.7"
• 2010-11: 62.6"

The storm began Wednesday afternoon with sustained Northeast winds of 30-plus miles an hour and a peak wind gust of 45 miles an hour.  Strong winds continued Thursday along with Coastal Flood Advisories during the times of high tide. Tide levels reached two-to-three feet above normal, causing minor-to-moderate flooding along the immediate shoreline. There was a peak wind gust of 41 miles an hour.

Paul

Tokeneke School's Second-Graders Shine as Weatherkids Stars

I visited with the second-grade classes at Tokeneke School in Darien yesterday, Wednesday, March 6, 2013. The kids enjoyed the many weather experiments and sang a weather-related song about snow.

 

 Paul