Today Marks 47th Anniversary of 'The Blizzard of 1978'

Today marks the 47th anniversary of the Blizzard of 1978. The unforgettable storm was "born" on February 5, 1978, with the merger of a Canadian high-pressure system to the North and a dense mass of low pressure off the Carolina coast. It will be remembered as one of the most destructive storms in recent memory.

What do I most remember about the blizzard? Connecticut's late Governor Ella Grasso closed all state highways due to the heavy snow; local schools were closed for several days; my next-door neighbor lost his car keys in a snow drift and didn't find them until the Spring; and I worked two straight days at WNAB where I had just landed my first radio job as the overnight announcer a half-year earlier.

The station program director, the late Tiny Markle, called me early in the day and asked me to prepare to work a 24-hour shift. Naturally, I was thrilled, but it took awhile packing my belongings for the trip to East Washington Avenue in Bridgeport. I watched as over two feet of snow fell, and the experience punctuated my fascination for weather.

As for the powerful storm, strong winds reached speeds of 86 miles per hour with gusts of 111 miles per hour during its peak. The lowest central air pressure was 980 millibars, which made the storm comparable to a strong Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale.

Arriving at the time of a new Moon, the storm produced heavy coastal flooding along the New England shoreline. Beachfront homes were washed away due to strong winds and coastal flooding. More than 1,700 homes suffered major damage or were destroyed, and 39,000 people took refuge in emergency shelters. Federal disaster assistance totaled $202 million.

Snow fell at a rate of four inches an hour at times during the storm, which lasted for 36 hours. The unusual duration of the 1978 Nor’easter was caused by the Canadian high, which forced the storm to loop East and then back toward the North. Thunder, lightning, and hail were seen in the blizzard as it blanketed the Northeast with over three feet of snow. Drifts in parts of New England were reported to be 15 feet deep.

Traffic came to a standstill as major corridors like I-95 shut down. During the storm several people died on Route 128 around Boston from asphyxiation, since snow had blocked the tailpipes of their idling automobiles. In New York City, skiers could be seen sliding up Fifth Avenue.

I will never forget the Blizzard of 1978.

Paul

Winter Weather Advisory

A Winter Weather Advisory will be in effect for Fairfield and New Haven counties Thursday from 4 a.m. until 1 p.m. EDT: forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.ph...

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) February 5, 2025 at 5:10 PM

Paul

Happy National Weatherperson's Day

Although I've never been an umpire or referee, I think I know what it must feel like. It's been said that nobody ever notices the umpire when he does a fine job. However, when the ump makes a bad call, everybody's on his back. You see, I was a television weather forecaster for southwestern Connecticut for 25 years. I never heard a word from anybody when the forecast was "right on the money." But, if my forecast was off the mark, the phone didn't stop ringing and the emails kept coming.

Today is National Weatherperson's Day. It's the one day during the year to acknowledge the work of weather forecasters across our country. The day commemorates the birth of John Jeffries in 1744. Jeffries was one of America's first weather observers. He actually began taking daily weather observations in Boston in 1774, and he took the first balloon observation in 1784.

Jeffries was an American physician and scientist who pioneered the use of balloons in scientific observation. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he graduated from Harvard University in Cambridge in 1763 and studied medicine in Boston and abroad. After receiving his medical degree from Marischal College in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1769, Jeffries returned to Boston and practiced medicine there until 1771.

Much to the chagrin of this modern-day weather forecaster, Jeffries supported England during the American Revolution. He served on British naval vessels and in British military hospitals, and he fought alongside British troops in the final campaign of the war. After the war, he moved to England and resumed practicing medicine.

Jeffries became interested in the possibility of using balloons to observe the upper winds and the atmosphere at various altitudes. On November 30, 1784, Jeffries and French aeronaut Jean Pierre Blanchard made an ascent from London, reaching a height of 9309 feet and taking a series of air samples.

A few weeks later, on January 7, 1785, they made the first aerial crossing of the English Channel, traveling in a balloon from Dover to the Forest of Guines, near Calais. Jeffries paid all expenses for the two ascents and provided a number of the best available observational instruments, including a thermometer, a barometer, an electrometer, a hygrometer, and containers of distilled water. The air samples taken on the first ascent were the first scientific data ever obtained from these altitudes.

Many of us take weather information for granted. Turn on a light switch, you get light. Turn on your television or radio, or check a web site, and you get the weather forecast. It’s easy to forget that around the clock, dedicated meteorologists and weathercasters are creating forecasts to help you plan your day and issuing warnings to help keep you safe.

Happy National Weatherperson's Day!

Paul

Punxsutawney Phil Predicts Six More Weeks of Winter

Punxsutawney Phil: "There's a shadow up here. Get ready for six more weeks of Winter this year." Happy Groundhog Day!

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) February 2, 2025 at 7:27 AM

Paul

Happy Groundhog Day

Today is Groundhog Day, which is an unofficial weather holiday around these parts. I always look forward to the annual prediction by the Keystone State's most famous rodent. Although the Winter hasn't been as severe as some recent ones, I'm looking forward to an early Spring. We'll know the answer early this morning when Punxsutawney Phil makes his prediction before 7:30 in front of a huge gathering of onlookers and fans.

So, how did Groundhog Day originate, anyway? The earliest known reference to Groundhog Day can be found at the Pennsylvania Dutch Folklore Center at Franklin and Marshall College. According to storekeeper James Morris' diary dated February 4, 1841, "Last Tuesday, the second, was Candlemas Day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the groundhog peeps out of his Winter quarters. If he sees his shadow, he pops back for another six-week nap. But if it remain cloudy, he remains out as the weather is to be moderate."

According to the Old English saying, "If Candlemas be fair and bright, Winter has another flight. If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, Winter will not come again." According to the Scottish, "If Candlemas Day is bright and clear, there will be two Winters in the year." Finally, the Germans believe, "For as the Sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl until May. For as the snow blows on Candlemas Day, so far will the Sun shine before May."

Over the years, there have been several interesting anecdotes to Groundhog Day. For example, during Prohibition, Phil threatened to impose 60 weeks of Winter on the community if he wasn't allowed a drink. Phil traveled to Washington, DC, in 1986 to meet with President Reagan, and, one year later, he met Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornberg. In 1993, Columbia Pictures released the movie Groundhog Day, starring comedian Bill Murray, and Phil appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1995.

Following the release of the movie, annual crowds in excess of 30,000 have visited Gobbler's Knob. The spectacle has turned into a media event and has become quite commercial, too, with vendors hawking "Phil" tee-shirts, sweatshirts, a plastic Phil bank, Phil ornaments, and a classic Punxsutawney Phil cookbook. I wouldn't mind wearing one of those sweatshirts, in fact!

It is said that Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking the "elixir of life," a secret recipe. Phil takes one sip every summer at the Groundhog Picnic and it magically gives him seven more years of life. So the story goes, Punxsutawney Phil was named after King Phillip. Prior to being called Phil, he was called Br'er Groundhog. I'm one of Phil's biggest fans!

Happy Groundhog Day.

Paul

January Colder and Drier Than Normal Across Southwestern Connecticut

The average monthly temperature for January at the Bridgeport climate station was 30.1° F, which is 1.3° colder-than-normal. The range was 52° (Jan. 29) and 7° (Jan. 22).

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) February 1, 2025 at 9:47 AM

The Bridgeport climate station recorded 0.72" of precipitation in January, which is 2.46" less than the climatological average. Six of the 31 days (19%) featured measured precipitation.

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) February 1, 2025 at 9:50 AM

Paul