Powerful Blizzard 13 Years Ago Today Delivered Snowiest January on Record

A powerful storm exploded over southwestern Connecticut 13 years ago this morning, delivering heavy snow, gusty winds, thunder, and lightning. Nearly a foot-and-a-half of snow was reported in most communities in the area before the snow moved away by daybreak, January 26, 2011. Not surprisingly, it resulted in the snowiest January on record across southwestern Connecticut.

Officially, after that memorable storm, nearly three feet (34.8") of snow had fallen at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford, breaking the previous January record of 26.2 inches set in 1965. The normal snowfall for the month is 8.5 inches. The previous January, just 7.4" of snow fell, while four years ago, only 7.7 inches of snow fell in January.

Here are snowfall totals from Wednesday, January 26, 2011:

• Norwalk: 17.0"
• Darien: 15.5"
• Milford: 15.0"
• Fairfield: 15.0"
• Greenwich: 14.5"

Once again, my neighbor, Todd, who owns a snowplow, drove me to work. Without question, it was the worst ride to work in my 18-and-a-half years of doing morning weather at News 12 Connecticut. I have never seen I-95 as snow-covered and as dangerous as eight years ago today. There were several tractor trailers jacknifed, and the backup was extensive on the Northbound side in Westport. The heavy, wet snow made driving extremely difficult.

I woke up to the sound of muffled thunder shortly after midnight, and when I went to look out the window, I saw nothing but white. The snow was falling heavily, and I knew the storm had intensified due to the gusty winds, thunder, and lightning. This was no ordinary snowstorm. Nearly a foot of snow had accumulated by midnight. When Todd arrived at my driveway at 2:20, I couldn't get the kitchen door open because the snow was piled so high. Just walking to his plow was a chore in itself. Here's a photo from Devon.

So far this Winter, very little snow has fallen. We're less than two months away from the Vernal Equinox. And, Groundhog Day is a little more than one week away.

Paul

November Featured Cooler- and Slightly Drier-Than-Normal Weather Across Southwestern Connecticut

November is officially in the rear-view mirror, and the month, not surprisingly, was cooler- and drier-than-normal across southwestern Connecticut.

The average monthly temperature for the 30-day period was 43.6 degrees F, which is 2.4 degrees below normal. Twenty of the 30 days last month featured cooler-than-normal average temperatures. In fact, nine of the last 12 days of the month were colder-than-normal.

The high temperature for November at the Bridgeport climate station was 63 degrees, which occurred November 5th and 17th. The coldest temperature was 24 degrees on November 25th. Fourteen days featured a morning low of 32 degrees or colder.

More than three inches of precipitation (3.07") fell at Bridgeport, which was just 0.04" below normal for the month. Seven days featured at least one-hundredth of an inch of rain; there were four days with at least one-tenth of an inch of rain; there was one day with at least one-half inch of rain; and there was one day with at least one inch of rain.

The greatest 24-hour rainfall happened November 21st and 22nd when 2.61" fell. The first half of the month featured only one day (November 7) with more than one-hundredth of an inch of rain (0.20"). 

Paul

October Warmer And Drier Than Normal Across Southwestern Connecticut

The month of October is officially in the weather record books, and it was warmer and drier than normal across southwestern Connecticut.

The average temperature for October at the Bridgeport climate station was 58.4 degrees F, which is exactly two degrees above normal. The warmest temperature was 79 degrees (October 4), and the coolest was 41 degrees (October 24).

The warmest stretch of weather happened from October 25th through the 28th with consecutive daily highs of 70, 74, 70, and 77, respectively. In fact, there were 11 days with a daily high temperature of at least 70 degrees, including the first five days of the month.

The monthly precipitation total for October was 2.84 inches, which is exactly one inch below normal. There were eight days with measured rain, including six with at least one-tenth of an inch and three with at least a half-inch. Nearly an inch of rain (0.95") fell from October 29th through the 30th.

Interestingly, all four full weekends in the month featured measured rain, extending the weekend streak of wet weather to eight heading into November.

Paul

Weekend Rain Pushes Yearly Precipitation Total to More Than 40 Inches at Bridgeport

The Bridgeport climate station has recorded 40.37" of precipitation this year through today. That's nearly four-and-a-half inches above normal (35.97") and nearly one foot more than last year (29.07") through the same period. pic.twitter.com/xRoCAKLjvD

— Paul Piorek (@PaulPiorek) October 22, 2023

Paul

Fifth Consecutive Wet Weekend Across Southwestern Connecticut

It's Saturday.

That must mean more rain for southwestern Connecticut.

This is the fifth consecutive weekend with measured rain at the Bridgeport climate station, dating to the weekend of September 9 and 10. The last weekend without any measured rain happened during Labor Day weekend, which was five weeks ago. However, there was still a trace of rain Saturday, September 2.

More than one-and-a-half inches of rain (1.67") fell Sunday, September 10; one-hundredth of an inch was recorded Sunday, September 17; more than one-third of an inch (0.37") cumulatively dampened both days during the weekend of September 23 and 24; and a little more than one-third of an inch (0.37") fell Saturday, September 30.

Three out of the five July weekends were also wet.

Today's rain keeps the wet weather weekend streak alive. Unfortunately, computer models are hinting at more rain next weekend.

The odds should be in our favor by now, though.

Paul

A September Soaker Featured a Roller Coaster Ride of Temperatures

September will be remembered for one of the warmest stretches and one of the coolest stretches of weather which virtually divided the month into two distinctly different "climates" across southwestern Connecticut. Through it all, however, it was a soaker of a month.

The average temperature at the Bridgeport climate station for September was 67.8 degrees, which is just about normal (+0.2) for the month. However, the average is quite misleading. Every day from September 3rd through the 14th was warmer-than-normal, including a sweltering stretch of nine consecutive days from September 3rd through the 11th which featured daytime high temperatures of 80 degrees or warmer.

In fact, the high temperatures of 89, 93, and 86 degrees September 6th through the 8th, respectively, were at least 10 degrees warmer-than-normal. Heat indices climbed into the upper 90s, leading many school systems to dismiss early for least three days in a row.

However, the script changed dramatically by the middle of the month. The average daily temperature was cooler-than-normal for 16 consecutive days from September 15th through the 30th. The last time the mercury topped the 70-degree mark was September 22nd.

The hottest temperature at Bridgeport last month was 93 degrees (September 7), and the coolest temperature was 47 degrees (September 27).

As far as precipitation is concerned, more than eight inches (8.28") fell at the Bridgeport climate station. That was 4.32" above normal for the month. Some towns across southwestern Connecticut received much more rain, punctuated by the heavy rain of Friday, September 28.

Thirteen of the 30 days featured measured rainfall, including 3.35" on September 28. There were three days with at least one inch of rain, three days with at least one-half inch, nine days with at least one-tenth of an inch, and 13 days with at least one-hundredth of an inch.

The new month of October will begin on a much warmer note. Let's hope that the excessive rain and much cooler-than-normal temperatures of the last two weeks aren't replicated this month.

Paul