Snow & Ice Storm Struck Region Seven Years Ago Today

A storm system is expected to stay to the South of the region this morning, but St. Patrick's Day will be mostly cloudy, blustery, and cold with daytime high temperatures in the low-to-mid 30s. There may be a few flurries early this morning. If you're heading to the parade today, make sure to bundle up. However, it won't be anything like what we experienced seven years ago.

I had one of the most difficult drives to work in my many years of providing morning weather to our viewers, Saturday, March 17, 2007. My car was a block of ice. My kitchen door froze after I shut it, locking me out of my own house while I attempted to get into the car. The battle with the car door to get it open took me about 10 minutes. And, I had to wake my son out of a sound sleep to accompany me on my harrowing drive to work.

The drive was, without question, extremely difficult. The roads were covered with ice and snow, and snow plows created some embankments at intersections, making it difficult to drive through the mounds of snow and ice. I got stuck twice in "cakes" of snow and ice. Our morning news anchor told me he "did a 360" on the turnpike, and he was obviously unnerved before we went on the air.

According to Lieutenant Paul Vance of the Connecticut State Police who appeared on our morning newscast that day, "Troopers have responded to over 477 accidents. We've been non-stop, busy, constantly during this whole storm. There are really treacherous conditions out there," emphasized Vance. "Many motorists have been stuck."

The storm began on Friday, March 16, 2007, with a moderate snow blanketing the region. The numbers were very impressive for mid March. Easton (6.5 inches), Fairfield (6.4"), New Canaan (6.0"), and Darien (6.0") each received at least a half-foot of snow unofficially. Even Bridgeport (5.0") had substantial snow. The average monthly snow for March is 4.3 inches based on 40 years of climatology. One of our viewers sent this photo from Norwalk.

"It was a tough storm," admitted John Kerry of the Department of Transportation storm center. "We're telling people that if they can hold off on their travel they will probably be in a lot better shape. We are seeing spin outs because the roads are slippery." One snow plow driver was asked by News 12 Connecticut's Kristi Olds if this was the worst storm of the Winter. "This one was," he answered immediately. "This one was by far the toughest. All the snow, the ice, and wind. It was tough!"

Nora Massella of Milford, who is a devoted viewer to our morning newscasts, sent this photo of her home and neighborhood. Nora wrote, "Paul, my husband, Mike, tried to get out and it was impossible. When he put down onto the snow, it was thick, thick ice. In order to get rid of this ice, you have to chop it and crack it in order to get rid of it. Our cars are frozen closed."

The Vernal Equinox is just three days away, but Winter is refusing to let go. Spring officially arrives this Thursday, March 20, at 12:57 p.m. EDT. I can't wait!

Paul

Full Worm Moon Happens Today

The Full Moon happens this afternoon at 1:08 EDT. This month's Full Moon is known as the Full Worm Moon. However, the March Full Moon has also been called the Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Sap Moon, and Lenten Moon. Unfortunately, another storm system is bringing up to a half-foot of snow to the region, so we won't see the Moon when it is completely full.

Full Moon names date back to Native Americans, of what is now the Northern and Eastern United States. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring Full Moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the Moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.

As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, signaling the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this Moon as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter; or the Full Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. To the settlers, it was also known as the Lenten Moon and was considered to be the last full Moon of Winter.

This time of the year, the sunlight is getting stronger, temperatures are slowly rising, and the frozen ground begins to thaw. You can tell the worms have begun to come awake when you find the little curly mounds of dirt on the ground. These mounds, or castings are part of nature's way of preparing the Earth for new growth. Then the flowers and herbs and trees and green grass suddenly burst out and let us know Spring is here.

Paul

Jennings School's Second-Grade Weatherkids Stars

I visited with the second-graders at Jennings School in Fairfield, Wednesday morning, March 12. They are the featured Weatherkids stars.

Paul

Memorable Day in Local Weather History

Three of the most unforgettable weather events in recent history happened on this date. Two powerful storms and an all-time record high temperature for the season occurred on March 13, highlighting the unpredictability of the weather this time of the year. If you're of a certain age, I'm sure you remember all three weather "events."

As hard as it may seem to believe, the temperature climbed to an incredible 84 degrees at Sikorsky Memorial Airport on March 13, 1990. That established a record high for the date, month, and the Winter season. The normal high temperature for this date is only 45 degrees, and the normal low is a chilly 31. Today's high temperature will only reach the middle 20s with wind chill values in the single digits early. That's quite a difference from 24 years ago.

During March, a battle rages between the Spring and Winter seasons, and that makes predicting the temperatures during this month as difficult as any time during the year. The amount of daylight continues to grow each day, and the Vernal Equinox, the first day of Spring, is a week away. But, Old Man Winter has no intentions of packing his bags just yet.

I distinctly remember watching the temperature climb that day due to a strong Westerly wind. The wind direction was extremely important, since the flow didn't come from the cooler waters on Long Island Sound. I was the evening weather anchor at News 12 Connecticut 24 years ago, and our "weather video" showed people flocking to a local beach to soak up the sun and warm temperatures. I'll never forget that day.

Then, just three years later, Saturday, March 13, 1993, the famed Storm of the Century pounded the Eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine. Locally, over a foot of snow fell across southwestern Connecticut, winds gusted over 40 miles an hour, and wind chills hovered at or close to zero throughout the day. It was the second snowiest day on record for March, and it will always be remembered because it affected such a large area.

Very heavy snow accumulated in the south. Birmingham, Alabama, picked up a foot of snow. Snow covered the ground from Mississippi to the Florida Panhandle. The heavy snow spread northward along the East Coast to Maine. On Saturday, March 13, every airport in the Eastern states was closed. Snowfall ranged up to four feet on Mount Mitchell, North Carolina. Atlanta, Georgia, picked up three inches. Chattanooga, Tennessee, received up 21 inches. During the peak of the storm, about 30 percent of the entire country was hit by the rough weather.



Very warm, humid air moved across central Florida and, combined with the energy of the storm, helped spawn the 27 tornadoes. Winds were clocked at 99 mph on an oil platform off the Louisiana coast. Overall the storm took 285 lives, mostly because of tornadoes. The storm became the costliest nontropical storm in Florida's history. States of emergency were declared throughout the eastern portion of the country. The adjacent map shows the total snowfall for the storm.

I was called in for storm coverage that Saturday morning, and we remained on the air for more than 12 hours. Aside from the heavy snow, what I remember most from that day was the rapidly falling barometer. The pressure dropped to 28.35 inches in parts of New England, which is usually only observed in hurricanes. They peak at almost the exact opposite time of the year. By comparison, the normal average barometer reading for southwestern Connecticut is 30.02 inches.



The storm was deepening and intensifying as it moved toward New England, and the howling winds didn't let up. In the wake of the storm, back-to-back record low temperatures of 16 and 12 degrees were established on March 14 and 15, respectively, at Sikorsky Airport.

Then, four years ago, a powerful Nor'easter hammered Connecticut and, specifically, Fairfield County. The damaging wind gusts of 60 to 65 miles an hour, flooding rains, massive power outages, impassable roads, and week-long school closings won't soon be forgotten. We received incredible videos and photos of the widespread destruction across southwestern Connecticut. The following photos were sent by News 12 Connecticut viewers.



Former Governor M. Jodi Rell announced that the storm caused more than $7 million in damage statewide, and she requested a visit from Federal Emergency Management Agency officials to assess the damage. The Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security estimated $2.8 million worth of damage in Fairfield County alone. Fairfield County qualified for federal disaster assistance.



Preliminary damage estimates in Norwalk totaled more than $335,000, and damage to private homes was even greater. Damage to public buildings and parks, and the cost of funding police, fire, and city employee overtime reached about $335,065, according to the city's director of finance. The scoreboard at Brien McMahon High School was the single most expensive piece of property destroyed in the storm. It was estimated at $18,000.



Stamford officials estimate private property damage at $3.58 million. Damage to public property was estimated at $262,000, and total overtime for city crews at $143,086. Tens of thousands of people lost power, and three school systems were closed for a week. Heavy rain delivered up to one-half inch per hour during the afternoon of March 13. Here is a sampling of area rainfall totals for that day:

• New Canaan: 4.34"
• Easton: 4.33"
• Wilton: 4.01"
• Stratford: 3.33"
• Woodbridge: 3.12"
• Westport: 2.97"
• Milford: 2.91"

This is certainly a date which will be remembered for dramatic weather three times over the last quarter century.

Paul

Today Marks 126th Anniversary of 'Great White Hurricane'

I've always maintained that the most difficult months to forecast the weather are March and April. The transition from Winter to Spring can bring just about any kind of weather to the region. Although our weather has been relatively quiet over the last two weeks, another storm will bring rain, wind, and some snow to the region later tomorrow.

Did you know that this week also marks the 126th anniversary of arguably the most famous snowstorm in American history? The famous Blizzard of 1888 has been known as The Great White Hurricane due to the heavy amounts of snow, ferocious winds, and prolonged duration. The storm actually lasted from March 11 through March 14, 1888.

Remarkably, the days leading up to the blizzard were unseasonably mild, with temperatures in the 40s and 50s along the East Coast. The storm initially brought torrential rains to the Northeast, but on March 12th the rain changed to heavy snow, temperatures plunged, and a ferocious wind began. The rest, as they say, is history.

The storm continued for the next 36 hours. Sources vary, but the National Weather Service estimated that fifty inches of snow fell in much of Connecticut and Massachusetts and forty inches covered New York and New Jersey. Winds blew up to 48 miles an hour, creating snowdrifts forty to fifty feet high. Snowdrifts of 10 to 13 feet high and over a mile long were reported in Bridgeport, Connecticut!

 
The storm paralyzed the East Coast from the Chesapeake Bay to Maine. The photo above shows the depth of the snow in New York City between 5th and 6th Avenues. In fact, much of the telegraph system in New York City was demolished. The telegraph and telephone wires snapped, isolating New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington for days. According to various sources, more than any other event, it was this storm that popularized the practice of burying communication lines instead of placing them above ground. 

In addition, two hundred ships were grounded, and at least one hundred seamen died. Fire stations were immobilized, and property loss from fire alone was estimated at $25 million. Overall, more than 400 deaths were reported. The photo below of the horse-drawn sleigh is courtesy of the Historic National Weather Service Collection. It dramatically illustrates the magnitude of the storm.

The Vernal Equinox is just nine days away, and the battle between Old Man Winter and Mother Nature is just heating up. Winter refuses to lighten its grip, while Spring is eager to take control. That clash has led to many memorable weather events over the years. In fact, one of the worst ice storms in recent memory occurred on March 17, 2007, when it took me almost three hours to get to work. Spring can't some soon enough.

Paul

Columbus Magnet School's Second-Graders Star as TV Weatherkids

The second-graders at Columbus Magnet School in Norwalk enjoyed my Weatherkids program this week. The students enjoyed the experiments, trivia, and being on television. It was a lot of fun.

Paul