Three-Day Winter Storm Capped by Nine Inches of Snow on This Date in 2013

A three-day storm which brought strong winds, minor-to-moderate coastal flooding, and over a half-foot of snow across much of southwestern Connecticut featured nine inches of snow on this date in 2013. The Winter snowstorm pushed the season snowfall total to more than five feet. The snow began late Thursday evening, March 7, and began accumulating as temperatures dropped into the lower 30s Thursday night. By the time the snow tapered off Friday afternoon, March 8, some local communities received over a foot of snow.

Here is a sampling of local snowfall totals through Friday, March 8, 2013:

• 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 in 2011. Officially, nine inches of snow fell at Sikorsky Memorial Airport, breaking the record of 3.5" on this date in 2005 and pushing the monthly snow total to ten inches. Michael Blake of Milford took this photo from his home that day. 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, March 6, 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

Marched 'Roared Like a Lion' 14 Years Ago Today

March came roaring in like a lion 14 years ago today, delivering more than a half-foot of snow across southwestern Connecticut, Monday, March 2, 2009. Adding insult to injury, roads, walkways, and driveways remained extremely icy as temperatures struggled to reach the mid 20s with wind gusts over 20 miles an hour through the next day. It certainly didn't look or feel like Spring was less than three weeks away.

Officially, 7.6 inches of snow fell at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford 14 years ago, a record snowfall for the date. Add the 2.1 inches of snow which fell the night before, and that pushed the March snowfall total to 9.7 inches, well above the 4.3-inch normal for the entire month. New Canaan (9.5") and Darien (8.5") also received a healthy blanket of new snow. Take a look at a few of the photos I received following the March 2, 2009 snowstorm.

That brought the 2008-09 Winter snow total to 43.1 inches, more than double the 20.4 inch normal through the date. The previous year, just over 20 inches of snow were recorded through the same period.

March weather can be especially brutal across southwestern Connecticut. The March 2, 2009 snow ranked fourth on the list of all-time snowiest March days on record at the airport as of 14 years ago. The Blizzard of 1888 notwithstanding, nearly a foot of snow (11.1") fell on March 22, 1967, and 10.6" of snow blanketed the region during the infamous Storm of the Century on Saturday, March 13, 1993. The third snowiest March day on record happened on March 22, 1956, when 9.8 inches fell.

Perhaps the most memorable March snow event happened on Easter Sunday, March 29, 1974, when over a half-foot of snow (7.6") hit the region. Bitter cold air followed in the wake of the storm, and it caused schools and businesses to close. 

Paul

Snowy Finish to 'Snow-less' Meteorological Winter

The air temperature is 31 degrees F with a 29-degree dew point under a cloudy sky in the Lake Hills section of Fairfield. pic.twitter.com/vraGgJvRhj

— Paul Piorek (@PaulPiorek) February 28, 2023

Winter Storm Warning in Effect for Southwestern Connecticut

Six-to-eight inches of snow are expected across most of Fairfield and New Haven counties, with the exception of the western "panhandle," through Tuesday at 7 p.m. EST. That equates to nearly three-quarters of an inch of precipitation. pic.twitter.com/uaFXZazX7U

— Paul Piorek (@PaulPiorek) February 27, 2023

Paul

Snow Capped Wild Week of Weather 13 Years Ago

Record rainfall, localized flooding, over a half-foot of snow, and school cancellations punctuated a four-day stretch from Tuesday through Friday, February 23 through 26, 2010.

According to the National Weather Service office at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford, nearly a half-foot of snow (five inches) fell five years ago today, which set a new record for the date, eclipsing the old mark of three inches established in 2007. However, the heaviest snow fell West of Fairfield, with one spotter who lives in the Greenwich backcountry measuring 19 inches.

Sue Drexler of Greenwich sent two photos from the town's backcountry. The first is of Lissy with Holly and Maddy playing in the snow, and the second is of Sue and Holly cross-country skiing. It was a Winter wonderland in the Gateway to New England.

Here is a sampling of the snowfall totals from across southwestern Connecticut from Friday, February 26. Remember, the average snowfall for the entire month in our region is 7.6" based on 40 years of climatology.

• Wilton: 11.3"
• Greenwich: 10.6"
• Darien: 10.3"
• New Canaan: 9.1"
• Stamford: 8.1"
• Norwalk: 7.8"
• Bridgeport: 5.0"

Prior to the snow, the bigger weather story was the heavy rain. Nearly five inches (4.68") of liquid precipitation was recorded from Tuesday through Friday, highlighted by nearly two-and-a-half inches (2.36") of rain February 25, which established a record for the date. In fact, the first of two storms that week delivered 1.82" of rain cumulatively from Tuesday through Wednesday. Keep in mind that the normal average liquid precipitation for February is 3.15".

Here is a breakdown of the liquid precipitation recorded each day during the week of February 22 through 26, 2010:

• Monday: 0.02"
• Tuesday: 0.72"
• Wednesday: 1.10"
• Thursday: 2.36"
• Friday: 0.50"

Paul

Sun's Angle Much Higher in the Sky Two Months Into Winter

I'm sure you've noticed by now that the days are getting longer. It is especially obvious during the late-afternoon. In fact, today's sunrise and sunset times at Bridgeport are at 6:42 a.m. and 5:32 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, respectively. That's quite a difference from just less than two months ago --- on the Winter Solstice --- when sunrise and sunset happened at 7:15 a.m. and 4:26 p.m., respectively.

Not only have we gained over an hour of daylight during the evening, but you may have also noticed that the Sun is much higher in the sky. Consider that on the first day of Winter, the Sun was positioned at 23 degrees and 26 minutes South of the celestial Equator. That's when the Sun is lowest in the sky in the Northern Hemisphere. However, by January 15, the Sun was located at 21 degrees and 16 minutes South of the celestial Equator.

Today, the Sun is located at 11 degrees and 34 minutes South of the celestial Equator. The Sun will be at the celestial Equator on March 21, the first day of Spring, and then move higher above the Equator for the next three months. It will be located at 23 degrees and 26 minutes North of the celestial Equator on the first day of Summer.

The Sun's rays are becoming stronger every day, too. The average high and low temperatures today at Bridgeport are 41 and 26 degrees, respectively. The daily average high and low will climb to 49 and 34 degrees, respectively, by the first day of Spring. By April 15, the average high and low will be 57 and 40 degrees, respectively. 

Meteorological Winter officially ends a week from Tuesday, February 28. Meteorological Spring begins the following day.

Paul