Looking Ahead to July

Half the year is nearly over. July arrives at midnight, and it’s time to look ahead at what the month brings climatologically to southwestern Connecticut. Not surprisingly, July is the warmest month of the year with a mean temperature of 74 degrees. The hottest temperature ever recorded at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford was 103 degrees on July 22, 1957.

The mercury reached the century mark two other times — July 2, 1966 and July 5, 1999. In fact, the average daily temperature climbs from 72 degrees at the start of the month to 75 by July 31. The warmest July on record happened 17 years ago, in 1994, with an average temperature of 78.4 degrees.

Last July was one of the hottest on record. You may recall the heat wave over the Independence Day holiday weekend. The high temperatures from July 4 through July 7 were 97, 93, 98, and 95 degrees, respectively. In fact, record high temperatures were established July 6 and 7. The mercury also reached 95 degrees July 24. The average temperature for the month was 78 degrees, just shy of the all-time record.

Many people have asked me why the hottest time of the year happens over a month after the first day of Summer. Well, it takes the Earth awhile to absorb the heat. As the Sun’s angle gets higher in the sky and the days grow longer in May and June, the Northern Hemisphere slowly starts to warm.

It’s much like warming your home. When you turn your thermostat up to 72 degrees after being away all day in the Winter, it will take awhile for the house to warm up. It doesn’t happen instantly. That’s why our hottest days are typically in July and early August.

On the flip side, the coolest temperature ever recorded in these parts in July was 49 degrees on July 1, 1988. Aside from that, every record low for the month is in the 50s. Believe it or not, according to the National Weather Service record book, a trace of snow fell at the airport on July 4, 1950. I find that too hard to believe.

As far as precipitation is concerned, the wettest July on record happened in 1971 when over a foot of rain (12.84″) fell. The average monthly rainfall is 3.77 inches. There have been several memorable rainstorms in July. For example, nearly a half-foot (5.95″) of rain fell on July 19, 1971, and nearly four inches (3.93″) was recorded on July 29, 1990. Two other days delivered well over three inches of rain — July 30, 1960 (3.57″) and July 23, 1953 (3.45″).

The length of daylight decreases next month. For example, on July 1, the Sun rises at 5:23 and sets at 8:30. By the middle of the month, on July 15, the Sun rises at 5:32 and sets at 8:24. However, at the end of the month, it rises at 5:47 and sets at 8:10, meaning we lose 44 minutes of daylight. Remember, the “longest” day of the year happened at the Summer Solstice in late June.

Our weather will begin to heat up over the holiday weekend with daytime highs in the 80s to close to 90 degrees inland by Sunday afternoon. A threat of a few scattered showers or a thunderstorm will be with us Sunday, but most of the three-day weekend should be fine.

Paul

The "Dog Days" of Summer Officially Start This Sunday

Summer officially began one week ago today, but our weather has been anything but hot and humid recently. The mercury has not reached 90 degrees at all this month, although there were four straight days with daytime highs well into the 80s from June 7 through 10, including an 89-degree reading June 8.

In case you're wondering, the "dog days" of Summer officially begin this Sunday, July 3, and run through August 11 in the Northern Hemisphere. It all has to do with the star Sirius, known as "the dog star." Sirius is the brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere other than the Sun, and it is found in the constellation Canis Major, thus the name "dog star."

In the Summer, Sirius rises and sets with the Sun. During late July, Sirius is in "conjunction" with the Sun. The ancients believed that its heat added to the heat of the Sun, creating a stretch of hot and sultry weather. They named this period of time, from 20 days before the conjunction to 20 days after, the "dog days," in honor of the dog star.

In ancient times, when the night sky was unobscured by artificial lights and smog, different groups of peoples in different parts of the world drew images in the sky by "connecting the dots" of stars. The images drawn were dependent upon the culture.

The Chinese saw different images than the Native Americans, who saw different pictures than the Europeans. These star pictures are now called constellations, and the constellations that are now mapped out in the sky come from our European ancestors.

They saw images of bears (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor), twins (Gemini), a bull (Taurus), and others, including dogs (Canis Major and Canis Minor). The brightest of the stars in Canis Major (the big dog) is Sirius. The star can be seen prominently in the Winter in the Northern Hemisphere, adjacent to Orion the Hunter.

The conjunction of Sirius with the Sun varies somewhat with latitude. Also, the constellations today are not in exactly the same place in the sky as they were in ancient Rome. The Summer heat is not due to the added radiation from a far-away star, regardless of its brightness. The hot weather is a direct result of the earth's 23.5 degree tilt on its axis, meaning the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun during the Summer.

Some showers and a possible thunderstorm are possible later this evening and tonight before much better weather arrives tomorrow through the end of the week. We can expected plenty of sunshine, low humidity, and warm temperatures the next three days. The holiday weekend should be fair, too, with a slight chance of scattered thunderstorms Saturday and Sunday.

Paul

Severe Thunderstorms Cause Flooding Throughout Southwestern Connecticut

The severe thunderstorms which ripped through southwestern Connecticut early yesterday afternoon delivered heavy rain, vivid lightning, and gusty winds. Torrential rains caused headaches for many commuters. Officially, nearly two-and-a-half inches of rain (2.41") fell at Sikorsky Memorial Airport Thursday, which established a record for the date.

Ralph Fato sent the following photos of flooded roads in Darien. Unfortunately, more showers and thunderstorms are expected later this afternoon as the atmosphere remains moist and unstable. Some of the thunderstorms may be severe with heavy rain, gusty winds, and small hail. Today's high temperature will reach the low-to-mid 70s with an East wind.

Just about three inches of rain (2.98") has fallen over the last two days, bringing the monthly rainfall total to nearly a half-foot (5.96"). Consider the normal monthly rain is 2.73" through yesterday. We've had more than that in less than 48 hours! The yearly rain total is 28.92" which more than a half-foot above the 21.55" normal.

The weather may have played a role in a fatal accident on the Merritt Parkway yesterday. State police are investigating a deadly tree accident which happened on the southbound side of the parkway between exits 34 and 35 in Stamford. Police say the driver of the car was killed by a falling tree, ripped from its roots along the southbound shoulder.

Authorities in Bridgeport say flooding got so severe in some areas that several motorists got stranded in their cars and had to be rescued. Officials say both Barnum and West avenues were under 3 feet of water, as traffic flow slowed to a crawl during heavy downpours. The baseball field at Gould Manor Park in Fairfield was completely flooded, too.

Much better weather is expected by the latter half of the weekend. Tomorrow will be partly sunny with scattered showers and thunderstorms, but it won't be a washout. High temperatures will reach the upper 70s to close to 80. Sunday will be mostly sunny and less humid with a high near 80. Have a good weekend.

Paul

High School Graduation Exercises at Mercy of Mother Nature

High school graduation exercises are taking place across southwestern Connecticut this week, and the weather is not being cooperative. Wednesday's rain and thunderstorms caused several high schools, including Staples of Westport, to move their graduation ceremonies inside. Some light rain fell through much of the evening, and the National Weather Service measured over a half-inch (0.55") of rain for the day at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford.

Bunnell High School principal Dr. Dudley Orr called me after the noon newscast yesterday to request an updated forecast and my thoughts about moving the ceremony inside. I told him that another round of showers and thunderstorms would affect the region from 4 to 9 p.m., and that it would be best to move graduation inside. Although the rain wouldn't necessarily be steady and heavy, the ground was already wet and the air was warm and humid.

The showers, as expected, arrived during the evening hours, so the move inside was the right call. However, showers and storms can be "hit and miss" this time of the year, so making a definitive call early in the day about moving an afternoon or evening event inside or postponing an athletic contest can be difficult. Unfortunately, the weather system plaguing southwestern Connecticut will be with us through tomorrow before conditions begin to improve Saturday.

Several other local high schools, including Fairfield Ludlowe, are holding graduation exercises this evening. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop once again this afternoon, and they will continue through this evening. I would expect graduation ceremonies to me moved inside due to the threat of more rain. Although there is the temptation to hold the pomp-and-circumstance outside, worried administrators, parents, and students would keep a constant eye to the sky. It's not worth the anxiety or aggravation.

Congratulations to all the graduates. I would have liked much better weather this week, but holding graduation exercises inside shouldn't put a damper on the day. It's better to be safe than sorry. Any showers and storms will end by mid-to-late evening, and patchy fog will develop late tonight with a low temperature in the 60s. A few more showers and a possible thunderstorm are in the forecast for tomorrow as highs reach the mid 70s.

Paul

Lightning Safety Awareness Week

Today is the first day of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The Summer Solstice happens at 1:16 p.m. EDT, making the longest day of the year. This is also Lightning Safety Awareness Week, which runs from June 19 through June 25. Summer is the peak season for one of the nation's deadliest phenomena, lightning, and as if on cue, scattered thunderstorms are in the forecast tomorrow through Saturday.

People are often surprised to hear that I'm afraid of lightning and thunderstorms. Whenever thunderstorms are in the forecast, I tell our viewers that I'll be hiding under the bed when they arrive. "You're a weatherman, so you should know all about lightning," is the refrain I frequently hear. That's exactly why I'm afraid of it. I know that lightning can kill.

Lightning is one of nature's most awe inspiring and dangerous phenomenon. The average lightning flash could light a 100-watt light bulb for more than 3 months. The temperature of a lightning bolt may reach 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit. That's even hotter than the surface of the Sun.

Lightning kills about 73 people nationwide each year. In fact, lightning remains one of the most deadly weather phenomena in the United States, and it can occur almost anywhere throughout the entire year. According to the National Weather Service Web site, lightning occurring during snowstorms has even killed people. However, a few simple precautions can reduce many of the dangers posed by lightning.

First, when you first hear thunder, it is time to act to prevent being struck by lightning. Generally speaking, when you can see lightning or hear thunder, you're already at risk for lightning injury or death. If the time delay between seeing the flash of lightning and hearing the bang of thunder is less than 30 seconds, immediately seek a safer location.

If you're outside, you should avoid high places and open fields, isolated trees, gazebos, open sided picnic shelters, baseball dugouts, communication towers, flagpoles, light poles, metal or wood bleachers, metal fences, convertibles, golf carts, and water, whether a lake, pool, or river.

Inside, stay away from the telephone or computer, taking a shower, washing your hands, doing dishes, or any contact with conductive surfaces with exposure to the outside. These include metal door or window frames, electrical wiring, telephone wiring, cable TV wiring, or plumbing. People should stay away from playing computer games, too.

Many years ago my aunt was nearly struck by lightning while walking in an upstairs hallway during a severe thunderstorm. The windows at each end of the hallway were open, and a vivid bolt of lightning traveled through the hallway just as she entered a side room. The experience was frightening, to say the least.

Scattered thunderstorms are in the forecast from tomorrow through Saturday as a front stalls nearby. Although it won't be raining constantly, there is a threat for showers and thunderstorms each of the next four days. Skies should clear later in the weekend. Daytime highs will climb into the 70s to close to 80 degrees, while nighttime lows hold in the 60s.

Paul

Record Flooding Happened 39 Years Ago This Week

Many longtime residents of southwestern Connecticut remember the incredible flooding downpours 39 years ago this week. A three-day deluge brought nearly 10 inches of rain to the region, flooded residents out of their homes, forced postponement of school graduation ceremonies, and caused widespread damage.

Personally, I’ll never forget those three days since our basement was flooded beyond belief. I actually thought our house was going to float away. Firefighters, neighbors, and relatives helped my family furiously pump water out of the basement in what can only be called a losing battle. I distinctly remember riding with my father to pick up another sump pump at a friend’s house in the middle of the night while our next-door neighbors helped out downstairs.

How much rain fell during the three day period? Too much. The monsoon began June 17, 1972, with nearly two-and-a-half inches (2.37″) of rain. The next day, June 18, brought nearly an inch (0.98″). But the deadliest blow happened the next day — June 19 — when over a half-foot (6.18″) of rain buried the region. That one day total is nearly the average rainfall for two full months! Cumulatively, 9.53″ of rain fell at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford. According to the National Weather Service, it marked “the heaviest flooding damage since the Fall of 1955.”



According to the front-page article in June 19, 1972 edition of The Bridgeport Post, “A civil defense warning was issued today at 9:10 a.m. concerning flooding in the Southern Connecticut area. The report, which came over the air from the city’s Emergency Reporting Service, stated that the rain would continue through most of the day, and that flash floods were expected to occur.”

The following day, the newspaper reported that “Many residents who had never experienced water accumulations before, were still busy pumping out and drying up cellars. Fire departments throughout the area were besieged by requests from residents seeking pumping assistance.” One storm-related death was reported when a gentleman was electrocuted as he waded through two-feet of water in his basement of his home. The victim came into contact with live wiring as he was repairing the furnace.



Fire authorities had warned that flooded basements posed hazards as water threatened to “short out” furnace motors. Civil defense officials in the state estimated that a damage toll reaching as high as $1 million was expected. The American Red Cross established emergency shelters at its headquarters in Fairfield and Darien. Adding insult to injury was the threat of even more rain from Tropical Storm Agnes through Wednesday, June 21.

What do I most remember about that memorable three-day deluge? Our junior high school graduation was postponed. The Fairfield Woods Junior High School ceremony, which was originally scheduled for June 21 at Andrew Warde High School, was pushed back one day. We were extremely disappointed, since we couldn't wait to walk into our new high school as soon-to-be-freshmen at Warde.

I also remember my cousin, Pat, a Vietnam veteran, blew out his knee while attempting to start a generator in our backyard. I can vividly remember him being wheeled into the back of the ambulance in a driving rainstorm while neighbors watched from our backyard. He eventually married my next-door-neighbor, Ruth Ann, who stopped by with a home-cooked meal and met Pat.

The total rainfall for the entire month of June in 1972 was nearly a foot-and-a-half (17.7″). To put it in perspective, that's nearly a half-year's worth of rain. We won't have to worry about any rain the next two days as high pressure will deliver fair and dry weather to southwestern Connecticut. However, heat and humidity will build by mid week, and scattered thunderstorms are likely Wednesday through Friday.

Paul