Hello Summer!

So, as anyone in the area has noticed, the heat's back on, significantly warmer then the unseasonable heat we saw back on May 26th... and it's only going to get worse. Even though temperatures are going to be roughly what they were on Monday, the dew point is going to continue inching higher up, making it feel muggier, and much more oppressive. With temps expected to be close from 95-100, and dew points around 70, it'll feel as if it was over 100-105 in the shade, leading to a heat advisory for all of CT (except S New London County), and the surrounding area down to NYC and Nassau County for Tuesday from 11AM-7PM Tuesday.

Earlier, on Saturday and Sunday, where it was in the high 80's-low 90's, it felt cooler that due to dew points in the low 50's, maybe even 40's at times. We're not getting that luxury for the next few days.

It gets worse though considering that temperatures during the night hours aren't expected to drop down below comfortable levels. As of this writing, at midnight, Danbury Airport ASOS is reporting a temp of 73 F, and an oppressive dew point of 67 F. With that factored in, it actually feels a degree warmer then that, with an apparent temp (or heat index) of 74 F.

So what can you do during the day to help?

• Make sure that the AC is running when you're at home.
• A dehumidifier may help as well if it still feels warm around the house, even though the air itself is cool (but A/C's do indirectly act like a dehumidifier).
• Make sure to not run necessary devices (dryers, etc) during the peak hours (approximately noon to 8 PM), as this will help limit overstressing your local power grid/plants, and also possibly save you tripping a fuse or two throughout the day.
• Drink lots of water or power drinks. Avoid soda as these may actually dehydrate you.
• Remember your pets! They'll be dealing with the heat as bad as you, if not more so. Keep them watered and in the shade.
• If it's necessary to be outside in this weather, focus more on the early hours and very late in the afternoon, as temperatures will be lower, plus the sun won't beat down on you.

Sadly, this weather pattern is set to continue for a few days, with no real relief until a cold front approaches (currently expected around Saturday), so until then, keep cool and keep safe.

Footer Fun Fact: It's rare to see actual, raw temperatures this high in Connecticut. In fact, Bradley Airport has had 2 days over 100 F in the past decade (2001 and 2006). Last time it exceeded 100 F in July was all the way back in 1993.

May 26th Record Breaking Temps followup

Just a brief follow up to May 26th's record breaking temps (A day late, sorry!). I scoured through NWS daily climatology reports, and I couldn't find any that matched or exceed 99°F set at Bradley International Airport (Windsor Locks, CT). Closest that I saw was 96°F at Lake Charles Regional Airport, Louisiana, and 95°F set in Phoenix... which means that Bradley Intl. Airport saw the hottest temperature in all of the United States on May 26th. I've updated the previous post with the info.

Crazy day for CT Weather

If any of you are living in Connecticut (or the immediate area East, North, or West), you may have noticed something today. HEAT. LOTS AND LOTS OF HEAT. But how much heat, you ask?

There were some substantial records set today for maximum temperature. Bridgeport, late in the day, beat a record temp of 91°F set all the way back in 1965... with a solid 94° by 5:00 PM... then inched a degree higher briefly to 95° within the hour. A rather big surprise, since we were experiencing a solid sea breeze in the morning keeping temps lower (about a 10° contrast compared to about 30 miles inland started the day, but the pressure evened out and the winds died down, allowing the warmer air to take its place)

All eyes were on Bradley International Airport today though (in Windsor Locks, just north of our capital, Hartford). I was expecting temperature records to be shattered there today, and it couldn't have been more right. By 1:00 PM, the record of 96°F, set back in 1965 was already beaten. But this was just the beginning. By 5:00 PM, we set an outstanding record of 99°F. This temperature was the highest reached temperature since August 2nd, 2006.
Let me restate that again. Windsor Locks has not seen a 99° day since August 2nd, 2006. Today was the hottest day for almost THREE YEARS and TEN MONTHS. It was warmer then any summer day - or ANY day for that matter, between then and now. Also, it tied for the hottest May day on record, of 99°, set in 1996.

What makes this even more extraordinary is that it was the hottest location at any NWS weather station in the entire United States. (The hottest that I found was 95°F in Phoenix).

To make things worse, the air that existed over CT was moderately unstable to begin with. This airmass that allowed these high temperatures also put a cap that prevented any major thunderstorm development... but the threat was always there. It was late tonight (about 6:30 PM) that the threat was realized. In Southwestern CT (New London County), there was a sudden, very strong isolated storm that spawned, only about a mile wide, and it managed to draw 40 mph winds and up to 1 inch hail around the Mystic area... but within a half an hour, it dissipated, even before it could reach Rhode Island.

Well, it looks like my cries for "boring weather" were finally answered today. Hope that you all had your AC's in working order, and be thankful that we'll be seeing a solid 15 degree drop compared to today. As always, follow me on my twitter, @Bleet for forecasts and other interesting tweets! (It's not ALL weather tweets, gimme a follow!).