Fairfield Woods Middle School's Sixth-Graders Soar as Weatherkids Stars

Paul

Recalling the Historic Nor'easter Two Years Ago

The historic Nor'easter which happened the weekend of October 29 and 30, 2011, was one for the record books. An unusual early Autumn storm delivered record-breaking October snow and massive power outages across Connecticut the last weekend of October two years ago. By the time the storm pulled away, over a foot of snow fell across much of Northern Fairfield County, and four inches blanketed Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford, making Saturday, October 29, the snowiest October day on record.

Many trees and tree branches came crashing down due to the weight of the heavy, wet snow, the leaves still on the trees, and the gusty winds. The snow totals were unbelievable for October. Danbury reported 17 inches of snow, while Ridgefield (15.5") and Shelton (12.8") received over a foot. Locally, Wilton (10.8"), New Canaan (6.0"), Norwalk (5.5"), and Bridgeport (4.0") also had record-breaking snow. Viewer Ralph Fato of Norwalk sent this photo of the Route 7 connector Saturday afternoon.

The normal average monthly snowfall for October in southwestern Connecticut is just a trace. Prior to that weekend, the only measured snow in October fell on Sunday, October 4, 1987, when a half-inch coated the region. That's what made this Autumn snowstorm historic. Take a look at this photo of an ice- and snow-covered lake along Route 7 Sunday afternoon, October 30.

In the wake of the storm, skies cleared, the wind abated, and the temperature dropped like a rock. The mercury fell into the 20s inland and lower 30s along the shoreline, causing icy roads and cold homes for those without power. Take a look at these photos, including a picture of a downed tree and snow-covered Route 7 in Danbury. Was it really October?

Paul

Hurricane Sandy: One Year Later

Today marks the first anniversary of the arrival of Hurricane Sandy. It devastated much of the Eastern seaboard with powerful winds, record-low pressure, and historic tidal surges. The hurricane, which brought heavy rain and flooding across the mid-Atlantic region, made its heralded landfall near Atlantic City, N.J., around 8 p.m. Monday evening, October 29, 2012. It arrived slightly earlier than originally projected because it had picked up speed, moving at about 28 mph.

Although our region was spared the heavy rainfall, winds increased throughout the day Monday, reaching a peak wind gust of 76 miles-an-hour at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford later that evening. The hurricane-force gusts resulted in massive power outages, downed trees and power lines, and three deaths in Connecticut.

Unfortunately, the storm came during a Full Moon, causing a storm surge of 10 feet at Bridgeport harbor late Monday night. Sandy's strength and angle of approach combined to produce a record storm surge of water into New York City. The surge level at Battery Park topped 13.88 feet at 9:24 p.m. Monday, surpassing the 10.02 feet record water level set by Hurricane Donna in 1960.

The local shoreline communities, especially Fairfield and Milford, were hit hardest. Many homes, which had been hammered by Tropical Storm Irene just over a year earlier, were severely damaged or destroyed by Sandy. Here is a video of the storm surge at nearby St. Mary's by the Sea in Bridgeport.

 
Flooding prevented some homeowners from even getting to their homes near the beach in Fairfield. People were getting around by kayaks and canoes in the shoreline neighborhood, which was buzzing with the sound of pumps taking water out of houses. At one point Tuesday, United Illuminating reported that 100% of its Fairfield customers were without power. Schools were closed the rest of the week, and Fairfield Ludlowe High School opened a shelter for displaced residents and pets.

An Easton volunteer firefighter died while clearing debris in front of a fire truck Monday evening, October 29, on Judd Road. Lt. Russell Neary was struck by a falling limb. The body of a missing 34-year-old man, who was last seen swimming in the heavy surf after jumping from a pier Monday evening,  was recovered in Milford. Also, a 90-year-old Mansfield woman was killed and two family members were seriously injuted when a tree fell on them during the storm Monday.. 

More than 750,000 people were reported to have lost power across the region. Cities including Washington and Boston closed their mass-transit systems. Schools were closed, and shelters began to fill with hundreds of thousands of people ordered to leave their homes and seek safety. Wall Street trading was disrupted, as were political campaigns throughout the region just eight days before election day. Here is a view of the waves at Laurel Beach in Milford.

When hurricane hunter aircraft measured its central pressure at 940 millibars -- 27.76 inches -- Monday afternoon, it was the lowest barometric reading ever recorded for an Atlantic storm to make landfall north of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The previous record holder was the 1938 "Long Island Express" Hurricane, which dropped as low as 946 millibars. Here is a time-lapsed loop of the surface pressure around Hurricane Sandy beginning October 26th.

 

 Paul

This Month May be the Driest October Ever on Record

We need rain, desperately. The official monthly rainfall total at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford through this morning is just 0.28", which is well below the 2.86" normal through the period. In fact, there have been just four days with measured rain this month, and three of them produced 0.03" or less. The weather forecast calls for dry conditions to continue through the middle of next week.

The dry weather pattern has been with us for the last six weeks. Only six of the last 42 days have produced measured rain. The only appreciable rain happened September 12 when more than an inch (1.13") was recorded. The total rainfall over the six-week span is less than an inch-and-a-half (1.43"). The ground remains extremely dry. Take a look at this month's climate summary for Sikorsky Airport.

The driest October on record happened exactly 50 years ago when a third-of-an-inch was recorded in 1963. Nearly four inches (3.96") of precipitation fell in October of 2011, including the four inches of snow during the Nor'easter of October 29th, while over three inches (3.24") fell last year, including the rain from Hurricane Sandy. Conversely, the wettest October on record happened in 1955 when nearly 11 inches (10.72") fell.

This year's total precipitation is just under 30 inches (29.78"), which is nearly a half-foot below normal (35.24"). The immediate forecast calls for dry weather through the upcoming weekend and into the middle of next week. The weekend will be fair, breezy, and chilly with daytime highs moderating into the upper 50s by Sunday.

However, it looks like rain will finally happen by Halloween evening, which may spoil festivities for the trick-or-treaters once again. You may recall that Halloween was postponed or cancelled in several local communities each of the last two years due to the weather. Further, the forecast for Halloween rain may keep this month from being the driest on record.

Paul

Brunswick Boys of Greenwich Star as Weekly Weatherkids

Paul

This October is the Warmest on Record

Mother Nature has provided us with splendid Autumn weather across southwestern Connecticut. The last couple of weeks have been dry and mild. In fact, this is the warmest October on record through yesterday. The average daily temperature at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford is 62.4 degrees. Local climatologist Ralph Fato created this graphic which illustrates the Top 10 Warmest Octobers on record at Bradley and Sikorsky airports, respectively.

Through the first 18 days this month, the average daily temperature has been at or above normal every day. Four days featured an average daily temperature at least 10 degrees above normal, and the average daily temperatures for October 4th and 17th were 13 degrees above normal for both days. There were two days on which the daily average was exactly normal for the date (October 9th and October 14th). The monthly average temperature is running 5.4 degrees above normal.

The other story has been the lack of rain. Just four of the last 29 days have featured any measured rain across southwestern Connecticut. Three of those days had three-hundredths of an inch or less. The only day with appreciable rainfall was October 7 when nearly a quarter-inch (0.21") was recorded. The last eight days of September were dry, and  there was a nine-day stretch from October 8th through October 16th without any measured rain.

Our weather pattern is about to change, though. A cold front and associated area of low pressure will bring much cooler air and some rain to the region by Wednesday. Daytime high temperatures will fall into the low-to-mid 50s as a storm system moves just offshore. The highs Thursday and Friday will struggle to reach the mid 50s, but it will be blustery under a mix of sunshine and clouds. It will remain in the 50s through the upcoming weekend. I'm sure that will have a big effect on lowering October's average daily temperature.

Paul