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Friday, July 22, 2011

All Time Record Breaking Heat!

So I'm at Misquamicut beach today boogie boarding with the 12 year-olds and all I can think about is how I'm missing the record heat in Connecticut! Yeah, I'm a dork. Geoff Fox was sending me temperature updates on my blackberry while I worked on adding some color to my pale, nearly translucent skin.

Today's high temperature at Bradley International Airport was 103 degrees, setting the all time record high temperature for Hartford! The previous record of 102 degrees was set multiple times including July 2010, August 2001, and July 1996. We also broke the daily record high temperature of 101 degrees, set back in 1926.

Even more impressive, Bridgeport also hit 103 degrees. This ties the all time record high temperature in Bridgeport, last set in 1957. This also ties the daily record high temperature.

WHY was it so hot? 850 mb temperatures were about as high as they get around here, around 23C a strong northwesterly wind. When winds blow from that direction, they downslope off the Litchfield hills. As air flows down in elevation it warms at a rate of 5.5F per 1,000 ft. A NW wind is the only scenario where the shoreline temperatures can match inland temps in the summer.

The all time state record is 106 degrees in Danbury, set on July 15, 1995. But many meteorologists believe that's an error caused by a temperature reading.

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