Eli Whitney School's Fourth-Graders Enjoy Weatherkids Program

I visited with the fourth-graders at Eli Whitney School in Stratford, Wednesday morning, February 26, 2014. They are a great group of children.

Paul

Winter's Cold & Wind Make a Comeback

Now that Winter's winds and cold have returned, you'll definitely need to bundle up before heading out the door today. The mercury dipped into the teens inland this morning, and wind gusts of over 20 miles an hour were recorded across southwestern Connecticut. The normal high temperature for today is 41 degrees, but we'll be lucky to reach 30 degrees.

Exposure to brutally cold wind chills for even a brief period of time can be dangerous. Make sure to keep your extremities covered. The wind chill is based on the rate of heat loss on exposed skin caused by the wind and cold. As the wind increases, it draws heat from the body, driving down the skin temperature and eventually the body temperature.

Take a look at the wind chill chart below. Feel free to print the chart and keep it handy. It shows corresponding values for the air temperature and wind speed. For example, when the temperature drops into the teens and the wind is blowing at 15 miles an hour, the wind chill is close to zero. At this wind chill temperature, exposed skin can freeze in 30 minutes!

Frostbite occurs when body tissue freezes. The most susceptible parts of the body are the fingers, toes, ear lobes, or the tip of the nose. Symptoms include a loss of feeling in the extremity and a white or pale appearance. Get medical attention immediately for frostbite. The affected area should be slowly warmed.

Hypothermia occurs when the body temperature falls below 95 degrees. Warning signs include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and exhaustion. Get medical attention immediately. If help is not available, begin warming the body slowly.

Warm the body core first, and not the extremities. Warming extremities first drives the cold blood to the heart and can cause the body temperature to drop even more. That may ultimately lead to heart failure. Do not take any hot beverage or food. About 20% of cold-related deaths occur in the home, according to the National Weather Service Office.

Obviously, the best way to avoid hypothermia and frostbite is to stay warm and dry indoors. If you must go outside, dress appropriately. Wear several layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing. The trapped air inside the layers will insulate the body. Remove the layers to avoid sweating and subsequent chill. Wear a hat since half of body heat can be lost from the head. Cover your mouth to protect the lungs from the extreme cold. Mittens are actually better than gloves. Try to stay dry and out of the wind.

Remember, as far as the wind chill is concerned, it only affects people and animals. The only effect the wind chill has on inanimate objects such as car radiators and water pipes is that it cools the object more quickly to the current air temperature. For example,if the outside air temperature is five degrees below zero and the wind chill temperature is -31 degrees, then the car's radiator will not drop lower than -5.

So, take time to find your scarf, gloves, woolen hat, and heavy overcoat. Today will offer a reminder that there are still over three weeks of Winter left, and we'll sure feel it.

Paul

Sun's Angle in the Sky Much Higher 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 6:38 a.m. and 5:35 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, respectively. That's quite a difference from just over 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 nine degrees and 46 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 27 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. 

So, even though much colder air arrives this week along with some snow Wednesday morning, the days are getting longer, the Sun is higher in the sky, and the average daily temperatures are on the way up. This Saturday is also the first day of meteorological Spring, which runs from March 1 through May 31. Spring will be here before you know it.

Paul

Stanwich School's First-Graders Shine as Weatherkids Stars

I visited with the first-graders at Stanwich School in Greenwich Wednesday morning. It was a homecoming of sorts for me, since I taught a fifth-grade class in that building 24 years ago. Stanwich School is a private day school and one of my favorite stops on the Weatherkids schedule each year.



Paul

Seasonal Snowfall More Than Three Feet Above Normal

Spring is exactly one month away, and it can't come soon enough. Winter cold will return next week along with two chances for snow. The first snow event will happen Sunday night when a reinforcement of Arctic air arrives. Light rain will develop during the evening, but it will change to snow Sunday night into Monday morning. A coastal storm will bring some light snow to the region next Wednesday.

Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford has measured nearly three feet of snow this month alone (32.1"). Eight of the 20 days this month have featured measured snow, including three with at least a half-foot. February's snowfall is more than two feet above the normal value (5.8") and more than last year's total of 30.4" through today. That's impressive.

Local climatologist Ralph Fato created this chart illustrating the Top 10 Snowiest Locations and the Top 10 Snowiest Departures across the United States as of February 19. Bridgeport is sixth in the latter category, having received more than three feet of snow above normal. The seasonal total (56.2") didn't crack the top ten list in the former category, but it's still well above normal and higher than last year's total (51.3") through the same date.

The snow depth is at 13" as of this morning, due in no small part to the cold temperatures this month. In fact, the average daily temperature for February is 28.4 degrees, which is 3.4 degrees below normal. Thirteen of the first 18 days this month were colder than normal, including a streak of eight in a row from February 6 through February 13. There were four straight days (February 9 through February 12) which were at least 10 degrees below normal.

The Vernal Equinox is just one month away, and many people can't wait for Springlike weather to arrive. This Winter has been snowier and colder than normal around these parts, and sunshine and milder temperatures will be a welcome change. It's just a matter of time.

Paul

Today Marks 11th Anniversary of Presidents Day Blizzard

Today marks the 11th anniversary of the unforgettable Presidents Day Blizzard of 2003. It ranked as the snowiest day on record at the time at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford, tying the previous mark of 16 inches established on December 19, 1948, over a half-century ago. In New York's Central Park, where records date back well over a century, the 19.8 inches ranked as the fifth snowiest single day total. The weather map below is from midday February 17, 2003.

The snowfall totals across southwestern Connecticut were impressive. Darien and New Canaan measured the most snow (20 inches), while Westport (19"), Bridgeport (17"), Norwalk (16"), and Milford (15") also posted impressive totals. New Fairfield, in Northern Fairfield County, led the way locally with exactly two feet of snow. Here is the satellite image of the massive storm.

The magnitude of the storm was quite impressive. It spread heavy snow across the major cities in the Northeast from Washington to Boston. In fact, it was the biggest snowstorm on record in Baltimore (28.2") and Boston (27.5"). The storm actually developed in the southern Rockies on February 14 and moved through southern Missouri and the lower Tennessee Valley over the next two days. Eventually, the storm brought heavy rain and severe weather to the deep South.

In the Northeast, Arctic air helped slow down the storm and kept all of the precipitation in the form of snow and some sleet. By late Sunday evening, February 16, the snow reached the New York City area, and by midnight, it was snowing across all of southwestern Connecticut. A secondary area of low pressure developed off the Virginia coast the morning of February 17, turning the Nor'easter into a full-blown blizzard.

I'm often asked how it feels to work during a major storm, from driving into work in the middle of the night to staying on the air for hours at a time. I tell people it's kind of like my version of the Super Bowl or the World Series. I'm on the main stage, and my adreline is flowing all day long. The viewers play a vital role by sending me their weather observations, current conditions, and photos which I use all the time. During a big storm, give me the ball or, in this case, clicker! It's the "big time" for me.

Another snow event is expected later today into early tomorrow afternoon. This next system, however, will pale in comparison to the blizzard 11 years ago today. Two-to-three inches of snow are possible by Tuesday afternoon before much milder air arrives by the middle of the week. In fact, the mercury may come close to 50 degrees by Friday with some light rain.

Paul