Radio Broadcasts From WAVZ in New Haven During The Great Flood of 1955

Today marks the 64th anniversary of Black Friday following hurricanes Connie and Diane, which battered Connecticut in a six-day period in August of 1955.

The following are actual radio broadcasts from WAVZ in New Haven from August 19, 1955.

Paul

Dog Days of Summer Officially End Today

The Dog Days of Summer officially come to an end today. In case you’re wondering, the dog days last for 40 days, from July 3 to August 11. They are directly related to the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius, in the constellation Canis Major, or the big dog. Sirius is known as the Dog Star, and we see it clearly illuminating the night sky from early Autumn through early Spring.

However, during this time of the year, Sirius rises and sets with the Sun. During late July, Sirius is in “conjunction” with the Sun, and the ancients believed that its heat added to the heat of the Sun, creating a stretch of very hot, humid, and sultry weather. Actually, the conjunction of Sirius with the Sun varies slightly with latitude, and a gradual drifting of the constellations over time means that they are not in exactly the same place in the sky as they were in ancient Rome.

Although this is typically the warmest time of the year in southwestern Connecticut, the added heat is not due to the added radiation of a far-away star, regardless of how bright it is. The heat of Summertime in the Northern Hemisphere is a direct result of the Earth’s 23.5 degree tilt on its axis. Today's normal high temperature is 82 degrees, just one degree shy of the normal for late July.

Today may be the nicest day of the entire 40-day period known as the "Dog Days of Summer." Expect sunny skies, pleasant temperatures, and low humidity. And, dog-gone-it, we deserve it.

Paul

A Summer Reality Check

We're off to a beautiful start this morning. Clear skies and light winds allowed the temperature to drop into the upper 50s in some communities. The low temperature at Bridgeport was 64 degrees, which is the coolest reading this month. Another nice day is ahead, but the humidity will build over the next few days and the temperature may reach 90 degrees early next week.

Believe it or not, the days are indeed getting "shorter." In fact, we have lost nearly 40 minutes of daylight since the first day of Summer. Sunrise on June 21st happened at 5:19. This morning's Sunrise was at 5:44, 25 minutes later. Sunset is now at 8:16, 14 minutes before the latest Sunset, at 8:30, on the Solstice.

By the end of the month, sunrise occurs at 5:47, while the Sun sets at 8:10. Two weeks later, by mid-August, the shorter days become even more pronounced, with sunrise and sunset times at 6:02 and 7:51, respectively. The "shorter" days have to do with the Earth's revolution around the Sun, and the 23.5 degree tilt on its axis. By the end of September, the Autumnal Equinox begins a six-month period of longer nights and shorter days in the Northern Hemisphere.

Need further proof that we're moving through Summer rather quickly? My favorite NFL team, the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, opens training camp today in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Their first exhibition game is scheduled for Thursday, August 8, at Detroit. That's just two weeks away! Before you know it, the regular season will be here.

Make sure you get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather today. It will be mostly sunny with a high temperature in the lower 80s. August is one week from today.

Paul

Excessive Heat Warning Remains in Effect Through This Evening

An Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect for southwestern Connecticut through 8 o'clock this evening. The temperature climbed to 91 degrees as of early this afternoon, marking the second straight day the mercury has soared into the 90s. Saturday's high temperature was 94 degrees at 4:55 p.m. EDT, which is the warmest thus far this year.

This is the sixth day the temperature has reached 90 degrees or better at Bridgeport this month. However, there hasn't been an official heat wave, even though the average monthly temperature is 4.1 degrees above normal through yesterday.

This afternoon's heat index value is close to 100 degrees at Samp Mortar Lake in Fairfield.

Things could be much worse, though. Six years ago, southwestern Connecticut experienced an unprecedented seven-day heat wave from July 14 through July 20, 2013. We also experienced a four-day heat wave from July 5 through July 8 that very same month.

Once the heat breaks, flash flooding is a potential threat Monday evening into Tuesday morning. In fact, nearly two inches of rain may fall across southwestern Connecticut through Wednesday at 12 p.m. EDT.

More than three inches of rain fell over the last four days during strong thunderstorms, bringing the monthly precipitation total to 4.24 inches, which is 2.16 inches above normal through yesterday.

One thing is for sure. The weather is never dull. Stay cool.

Paul

July's Full Buck Moon Happens Tuesday, July 16

The Full Buck Moon happens Tuesday, July 16, at 5:39 p.m. EDT. July is normally the month when the new antlers of buck deer rush out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur. It is also often called the Full Thunder Moon, since thunderstorms are common during this time of the year. Another name for this month’s Moon is the Full Hay Moon.

Full Moon names date back to Native Americans in 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.

A Full Moon rises at about the same time the Sun is setting. Since the length of daylight is about 14 hours and 51 minutes today, the Full Moon will rise later and set earlier this time of the year. In addition, the Full Moon will appear lower in the sky since it won’t be visible nearly as long as during the mid-Winter nights.

For example, the Moon rises at 7:39 this evening and sets at 5:09 tomorrow morning. That means the Moon will be visible for nine hours and 30 minutes. Conversely, six months from now in January when the amount of daylight is at a minimum, the Full Wolf Moon will appear higher in the sky and be visible for about 17-and-half-hours. That’s eight hours longer than this time of the year!

This year's Full Buck Moon happens on the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11, which happened Wednesday, July 16, 1969, at 9:32 a.m. EDT.

Paul

Deadly & Destructive Tornadoes Struck Connecticut 30 Years Ago Today

One of the most unforgettable weather days happened 30 years ago today when a series of deadly and destructive tornadoes hit Connecticut on the afternoon of July 10, 1989. I was the early morning forecaster at the Western Connecticut State University weathercenter in Danbury back then. Although I predicted strong to severe thunderstorms for the region that afternoon, I never imagined the magnitude of the tornadoes which would strike Connecticut later that day.

I remember the storms began early that morning in upstate New York. A tornado hit Ogdensburg just before daybreak, injuring one person. One inch hail and wind gusts of over 50 miles an hour were a telltale sign that the approaching frontal boundary meant business. Many reports of wind damage in New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts occurred before noon.

Unfortunately, the timing of the storm had it moving into western Connecticut by the afternoon hours, when the atmosphere is most volatile due to the heating of the Sun. By midafternoon, as the atmosphere continued to heat up and the front moved eastward, the tornadoes developed. The first tornado, which may actually have been three distinctly separate tornadoes, started in the Northwest community of Cornwall, and leveled the Cathedral Pines forest.

The tornado continued south-southeast through Milton, leveling hundreds of trees and virtually destroying the village of Bantam before dissipating. A 12-year-old girl, who was on a campout with family and friends, was killed by falling trees in Black Rock State Park. Not much later, another tornado touched down in Watertown, passing through Oakville and northern Waterbury . That either damaged or destroyed over 150 homes and injured 70 people.

However, the most destructive tornado occurred in Hamden by late-afternoon. The path was only about five miles long, and it stopped just short of New Haven. The tornado destroyed almost 400 structures, and even cars were tossed into the air. Rows of houses and an industrial park were flattened as a result of the tornado. The storm was so strong that much of the area was without power for at least a week, and there were some trees still being cleared months later. The adjacent photo shows some of the damage in Hamden. This video was made for the Hamden Fire Department's Training Division the day after the tornado struck.



The powerful F-4 tornado which struck Hamden caused $100 million in damage and another $20 million in the Greater New Haven area. Forty people were injured in the tornado. After the tornado dissipated, a wind gust of 80 miles an hour was reported in New Haven. At about that time, another tornado struck Mount Carmel, tearing the roof off a condominium and injuring five people.

Of course, 30 years ago we didn't have the technology we do today, but I was still able to monitor the radar by the time I arrived home early in the afternoon. Remember, the Internet and access to instant local weather coverage didn't exist in those days. By the evening, the violent weather had ended, skies were clearing, and the damage had been done. It was certainly a day I'll never forget.

Paul