Looking Ahead to July

Half the year is nearly over. July arrives this Sunday, 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 happened last July 22, when the mercury topped 103 degrees, tying the record originally set in 1957. The following day, July 23, 2011, another record high of 96 degrees was recorded.

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 18 years ago, in 1994, with an average temperature of 78.4 degrees. However, last July was one of the warmest on record with an average temperature of 77.6 degrees.

July of 2010 was another hot one. You may recall the heat wave over the Independence Day holiday weekend. The high temperatures from July 4 through July 7, 2010, 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.

Today will be the hottest day of the week with temperatures in the 90s and an Air Quality Alert in effect. The weekend will be quite warm and moderately humid, too, with daytime highs in the upper 80s to close to 90 degrees. Nighttime lows will hold in the 60s. We may see isolated thunderstorms Sunday and Monday before quieter weather arrives just in time for the Independence Day holiday..

Paul

Potential Heat Wave All But Assures 16th Straight Warmer-Than-Normal Month

A potential heat wave through the upcoming weekend is in our local weather forecast for southwestern Connecticut. Remember, there must be at least three consecutive days of temperatures of 90 degrees or more to classify as on official heat wave. Today will be mostly sunny and quite warm with afternoon high temperatures in the mid 80s to close to 90 degrees. A warm front arrives late tonight, and that will bring hot and humid air to the region tomorrow.

The extended forecast all but assures the region of 16 straight months of warmer-than-normal temperatures. That's quite a streak. The last time we had a cooler-than-normal month was in February of 2011 when the average temperature was 0.4 degrees below normal. I wasn't so sure June would be warmer-than-normal two weeks ago. You may recall that we had a stretch of eight out of nine cooler-than-normal temperatures from June 11 through June 19. In fact, daily average temperatures were at or below normal 12 of the first 19 days this month.

Wednesday's high temperature at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford climbed to 85 degrees, which is five degrees above the normal high for June 27. The low temperature of 62 was actually two degrees cooler-than-normal. However, the average temperature for the day was 74 degrees, two degrees above normal. Thus far this month, the average temperature is 68.7 degrees, which is 0.4 degrees above normal. That number will only get higher over the next couple of days.

Take a look at the temperature forecast maps for the next two weeks days. The impending stretch of hot weather to close the month will no doubt put us over the top once again. Mean surfaces temperatures will be between 70 and 80 degrees each of the next two weeks with the temperature anamoly over the next seven days, from June 28 through July 5, running about four degrees above normal. Click on the photo to enlarge each of the maps.

Today's weather will be quite warm, but the humidity will be low for one more day. We can expect mostly sunny skies with a high temperature in the mid-to-upper 80s. Tonight will become mostly cloudy as a warm front approaches, triggering a shower or thunderstorm late. It will become muggy and warm with lows of 66 to 71 degrees. After an early shower or storm tomorrow, we'll have a hazy, hot, and humid day with highs in the lower 90s. A cold front arrives early Saturday, so that should be the better of the two weekend days, although it will still be hot and slightly less humid.

Paul

Lightning Safety Awareness Week

Monday's strong storms caused hundreds of lightning strikes across southwestern Connecticut yesterday morning. The storm did cause some damage, but both Connecticut Light and Power and United Illuminating said there were very few outages. A large tree was felled by lightning on Walter Avenue in Norwalk. Neighbors say they felt the whole block shake when it happened. Firefighters and utility workers were out in Westport, where power lines were downed and five homes were struck by lightning. The strikes resulted in three structure fires.

As if on cue, this is Lightning Safety Awareness Week. 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. This photo of a lightning strike at Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk was taken by a viewer yesterday.

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.

Fortunately, our weather will be much quieter today. We can expect a mix of sun and clouds, but it will be breezy with an isolated shower or two and a high temperature in the low-to-mid 70s. A warm-up is expected later this week along with the threat of more thunderstorms later Friday into Saturday. For now, though, Monday's strong thunderstorms are in the rear-view mirror and a better day is ahead.

Paul

Two Year Anniversary of Bridgeport Tornado

It only took a matter of minutes, but a violent thunderstorm spawned a tornado which ripped through the Greater Bridgeport area two years ago yesterday, resulting in much damage, destruction, and a loss of electricity for thousands. A powerful cold front collided with a hot and humid air mass to set the stage for a Tornado Warning and a strong thunderstorm cell between 2 and 3 o'clock Thursday afternoon, June 24, 2010.

The temperature soared to 90 degrees for the second day in a row at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford that day, but the dew point --- or moisture content in the atmosphere --- was extremely high. As the front approached, the sky darkened, the heavens opened up, and vivid lightning along with hurricane-force wind gusts ripped through the Park City. Here is a photo of Washington Park in Bridgeport taken by one of our viewers, Melissa, following the storm.



There was dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning and a wind gust of 78 miles-an-hour in Bridgeport. The average wind speed during the height of the storm was 43 miles-an-hour. Nearly a half-inch of rain fell in a short period of time, resulting in some minor flooding of low-lying areas. But, it was the wind damage which caused a state of emergency to be declared in Bridgeport. Take a look at this picture of a fallen tree in the Park City taken by Takina.



Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch and former Governor Jodi Rell arrived on the scene to survey the damage from the storm. "It looks like Godzilla went through and ripped roofs off and threw cars around and tore wires down," Finch said as he spoke with reporters and residents who had gathered in the streets. "I mean, it's really amazing," he added. Shelley sent two photos of the damage on East Main Street.



  

Bethany sent the following photo of downtown Bridgeport.



Personally, my family and I ran to the basement that afternoon once we heard a Tornado Warning was issued and the skies darkened. In a matter of minutes, the wind began to howl and heavy rain fell. My sons were worried that a tornado would rip apart our home. Not unexpectedly, the power went out, but the storm exited shortly thereafter. We didn't get our electricity back until just before midnight. Here's one more photo taken by Amanda of minor flooding on James Street in Bridgeport.



Another active weather day is ahead today with showers and possibly strong thunderstorms. Some of the storms may produce gusty winds and heavy rain. Temperatures will reach the mid-to-upper 70s this afternoon. Clearing skies are expected later tonight as temperatures fall into the 50s. An isolated thunderstorm is possible tomorrow before fair weather arrives by the middle of the week. More hot and humdi weather will arrive later in the week.

Paul

Fourth Connecticut Associated Press Broadcasters' Association Award in Seven Years for 'Best Weathercast'

I won the 2012 Connecticut Associated Press Broadcasters' Association award for Best Weathercast. The results were announced last evening. This marks the third time in the last five years and the fourth time in the last seven years I claimed the prestigious award. I also earned top honors in 2006, 2008, and 2009, and I was accorded honorable mention in 2004 and 2011.

This is truly an honor. I watched the editor produce my entry, and I thought I had a very good chance to win it again this year. I was humbled and excited to win it the first time, but to earn it for the fourth time in the last seven years is remarkable. I am thrilled. The entry included three weather segments from Tuesday morning, November 23, 2011, and showcased animated Thanksgiving Day graphics.



The honor continues a remarkable year of professional success. Last month, I was voted Best Local TV Personality by the readers of Fairfield County Weekly magazine, and I won the Communicator Award of Distinction for my Local Weather Journal. In addition, I received word that I will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award and will be inducted into the Housatonic Community College Hall of Fame at the HCC Foundation's annual gala in November.

The latest awards continue an impressive ten-year stretch which includes a prestigious New York Emmy award (2007), four Emmy nominations (New England, 2005; New York, 2007, 2008, and 2010), four Connecticut Associated Press Broadcasters' Association awards for Best Weathercast (2006, 2008, 2009, and 2012), and two Associated Press honorable mentions (2004 and 2011). 

Paul

Weekend Weather a Gift for Dad

Mother Nature will provide us with a nice Father's Day weekend. High pressure over the Northeast will deliver mostly sunny skies tomorrow with a high temperature in the mid 70s. Clouds will gather Sunday morning, but we'll see developing sunshine during the afternoon with a high temperature in the lower 70s. In fact, fair weather will continue through the middle of next week before it turns hot and humid by Thursday. Here is Friday's morning's satellite image.



If you're wondering, our weekend weather is batting just over .500 this year. Thirteen of the 24 weekends (54%) have been completely dry, while 11 weekends (46%) have seen measured rain. January, February, and March were evenly balanced as far as wet and dry weekends, while April featured three weekends with measured rain. There have been just two of six weekends with measured rain in May and June. Here is the monthly breakdown of our weekend weather:

January: 2 wet weekends, 3 dry weekends; total weekend rain 0.48"

February: 2 wet weekends, 2 dry weekends; total weekend rain 0.05"

March: 2 wet weekends, 2 dry weekends; total weekend rain 0.38"

April: 3 wet weekends, 2 dry weekends; total weekend rain 2.21"

May: 1 wet weekend, 3 dry weekends; total weekend rain 0.02"

June: 1 wet weekend, 1 dry weekend; total weekend rain 1.27"

Yearly total: 11 wet weekends, 13 dry weekends; total weekend rain 4.41"

The month of June can offer plenty of rain and clouds. Fortunately, though, a week of nearly-perfect weather is on the way. For many, end-of-year class field trips have been scheduled, school will soon be ending, and graduation ceremonies are being held. The weather will cooperate for the next several days. My younger son takes his class trip next Monday, and both of my sons are graduating from their respective middle school and high school next week. I'll be a proud Dad.

Happy Father's Day.

Paul