Photobombed!

This couple didn't realize we photobombed them until I asked them for a copy of the pic. They have about 8 more just like this that they'll find in their phone tomorrow. 

Had a blast at the Jay-Z/Timberlake concert at Fenway Saturday night!

Rent The Runway!

In the days before facebook…remember those? Life was so much simpler. I could get away with buying one nice dress a year.  And by nice, I mean $50 from the Macy's sales rack. No one from Jenny’s bat-mitzvah would know that I just wore the same dress to Gina’s wedding a week earlier. But those days are gone. Yes, I realize I’m a little crazy.  But once an outfit is posted to facebook….all my “friends” have seen it.  I can’t wear the same dress two weeks in a row!  And then I’m stuck buying expensive outfits I can’t afford and will never wear again.

In comes, Rent The Runway.

Instead of buying a new dress for my fiance’s brother’s wedding, I rented a designer dress! It’s fun and a whole lot cheaper than buying a new dress for every event on my calendar.

Here’s how it works…

You pick out a designer dress on their website (you can filter by event, dress style, designer, cost).  They send you the dress in two different sizes (just in case).  The dress comes by mail the day before your event.  Then the day after, you stick the dress back into a pre-paid envelope.  You don’t have to dry clean it, they do that for you.  You don’t have to worry if it rips (dresses are insured for just 5 bucks).

I had a blast!  They also give you the option to rent an extra style for $25.00. So I got a dress for the rehearsal dinner too!  The whole process with shipping, insurance and the extra dress cost me exactly $100.  I know that's not exactly cheap. But like I said before, it’s cheaper than buying two designer gowns!

Clearly....I only know how to pose with my hand on my hip.

In a Nicole Miller Dress that retails for $420 for Jared & Kristie's wedding.

In a Robert Rodriguez that retails for $600!

I'm hooked!  I'm renting an Herve Leger dress for my bachelorette party this weekend.  And I plan on renting jewelry for my wedding in September.  I wish I found this site before I purchased a million dollar wedding dress. In another life I could just rent this Reem Acra dress.

Super Soaker

Tropical Storm Andrea made landfall early this evening near the Big Bend area on Florida’s Gulf Coast.  Andrea will increase in forward speed tonight and ride up the east coast, combining with another storm to bring Connecticut waves of rain tonight through early Saturday.

A Flood Watch has been issued for the entire state with 2”-4” of rain forecast.  Rain will come down heavy at times with rainfall rates up to 1”-2” per hour. That means small streams and creeks could rise rapidly. Poor drainage areas, low lying areas and basements are also susceptible to flooding. The main stem rivers should remain in their banks.  If flooding does occur for larger rivers like the Connecticut and Housatonic, it should be very minor.

Rain will come down off and on tonight and Friday. The heaviest will fall Friday night.  Rain moves out Saturday morning followed by some clearing. A lingering shower is possible in the afternoon.

Wind is not expected to be an issue with this storm.  Minor coastal flooding is possible during Friday night’s high tide.  Tidal departures will remain around or below two feet. Once again, the main impact will be heavy rain and street flooding.

Comfy Weather Continues

Comfy spring weather continues Wednesday with partly to mostly sunny skies and low humidity. Clouds increase Thursday.  Most of the day will be dry but there is a chance for a shower or two late in the day. Friday looks wet.  But the word “wet” may be an understatement if all the ingredients come together.  A storm in the Gulf of Mexico will climb up the east coast.  Tapping into tropical moisture, periods of heavy rain and poor drainage flooding is possible Friday into early Saturday.

Tonight: Diminishing wind. clear and comfy. Low: 44-53

Tomorrow: Another cool, refreshing morning! Sunny to partly sunny, dry and pleasant. Not as windy. Northwest wind 5 to 15 miles an hour. High: Mid to upper 70s

Thursday: Increasing clouds. Showers developing late in the afternoon or at night. Wind becoming south at 5 to 10 miles an hour. High: Low 70s

Friday: Cloudy and cooler with periods of rain and drizzle. Rain could come down heavy at times. Some poor drainage flooding is possible. High: Mid 60s

Saturday: Rain ending in the morning. Clouds could break for some sun in the afternoon with a shower in spots in the afternoon. High: Low 70s

Sunday: A mix of sun and clouds, warmer than recent days. High: Upper 70s. Watching another warming trend heading into next week.

The El Reno tornado of May 31, 2013 is officially the widest tornado in U.S. history at 2.6 miles. The National Weather Service in Norman Oklahoma made the announcement on Tuesday.  Mobile doppler radar measured wind speeds of 295 mph which caused the rating to be increased to EF-5. These destructive winds were found within a satellite tornado or suction vortex which was spinning around the larger “parent” tornado.  The parent tornado had winds around 195 miles an hour. The suction vortex had winds of near 100 mph.  This means a combined wind speed of 295 miles an hour!

Ouch.

The injury!  Needed stitches on the left side of the pic. My right side.

Thank you so much for all the get well messages on twitter and facebook! A lot of you have been inquiring about how I got hurt. But it’s too hard to explain in 140 characters.

I was doing dips on this piece of equipment, called the “matador” Monday morning (see below).  But I attached the matador to the rig upside down so when I applied weight to it, the whole thing flipped back.  The piece that normally attaches to the rig hit me in the chest, dragged up my neck and slammed me in the bottom of my chin.

The "Matador" The part that attaches to the rig was upside
down so it flipped up.

 When the matador flipped, this was the piece of mental that
left the two gashes on my neck/chest

I didn’t know what happened.  My whole face was tingling and my teeth felt numb.  Did I lose a tooth? Two?  All of them? I felt little pieces in my mouth.  My fiancé Aram ran over.  He assured me I had all my teeth.  But I chipped the front two and I’m still having nerve issues with one of my bottom incisors.

My chest was stinging but I thought it was just a scratch.  When Aram told me we had to go to the hospital I thought he was overreacting! I reached down to touch my chest but he stopped me.  “It’s a little worse than you think”.

I was shocked when I looked into the mirror.  I thought, I’m getting married in a few months.  And I look like I got into a fight with Edward Scissor Hands.

We drove to a minute clinic.  They wanted to give me stitches but I scar really easily.  Against the doctor’s recommendation I had them use liquid stitches (A.K.A superglue) for the gash on my right side.  They were concerned the glue wouldn’t hold so they used steri strips to help keep the skin from pulling when I turned my neck.  Well….a day later and I can’t turn my neck anyway!  Every muscle in my neck has seized up from the trauma of the whole thing. 

My boss was super nice. It’s ratings period so I normally can’t take off for any reason.  But she immediately told me to take the day off and rest up.  What are the chances that Joe Furey gets sick the same day? Poor Dan Amarante was stuck working a 30 hour shift.  Thanks Dan!

I have an appointment Monday to fix my chipped teeth.

Too bad I can’t blame anyone but myself…I put the darn piece of equipment on upside down.  Aram says he was shocked I lasted that long without getting hurt. Believe it or not, I was doing one set every twenty minutes and I got injured on the very last set.  Minute 20.  Go figure.

I also recently hurt my ankle (technically my posterior tibial tendon).  Luckily I didn’t aggravate the injury on the way down. Probably because my chin broke the fall.  Um…yay?

All in all, I got lucky.  Imagine if I had the two gashes on my face????  Or what if the metal hit a major vein in my neck? I'll take my chest wound and count my blessings.

80 Degrees Thursday, Pacific Hurricane Season Off To An Active Start!

Spring and summer are playing a noticeable game of tug of war. Spring has been winning for much of this week with frost and below average temperatures.  But summer fights back Thursday with temperatures soaring through the 70s (at least). With a gusty west to northwest wind, mild temperatures will be felt right down to the immediate shoreline. In fact, this might be the best early season “beach” day in the forecast. Friday will not be as mild with a sea breeze kicking in during the afternoon.

Forecast Details:

Tonight: Partly cloudy, chance for a lingering shower. Low: 47-55

Tomorrow: Mostly sunny, breezy and mild. West to northwest wind 10 to 20 miles an hour. Turning partly cloudy for a while in the afternoon. High: 76-81

Friday: Not as mild but still remaining mostly sunny and pleasant. Mid 70s inland, near 70 for the shoreline.

Saturday: Sunshine mixing with some high clouds. Low to mid 70s inland, near 70 along the shoreline.

Sunday: Partly cloudy to mostly cloudy, chance for a sprinkle. Upper 60s to near 70 degrees.

Monday: Partly cloudy, seasonable.

Warming up again Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, in the upper 70s.

“Fun” weather tidbits:

The Pacific Hurricane season began today, May 15^th.  Sure enough, it’s off to an active start with Tropical Storm Alvin.  Although the storm is likely to become a hurricane, it does not pose any immediate threat to land.

Tropical Storm Alvin forms in the Pacific

Also, the NWS released the names for the 2013 Atlantic Hurricane season.  The list is recycled every 6 years.  New on the list this year is Dorian, Fernand and Nestor. Dean, Felix and Noel were retired in 2007.  Dean and Felix were category 5 hurricanes.  Noel was a category 1 hurricane but caused mudslides and flooding that took the lives of 163 people.

Freak Snowstorm 36 Years Ago Today

While we bathed in early summer warmth today, 36 years ago it was SNOWING!  This is a cover page of the Hartford Courant from May10, 1977. Also, check out the snowfall totals below! While the Connecticut River Valley and southern Connecticut got a raw cold rain, parts of Litchfield County received up to 20" of snow!

Meteorite Mania!

19 days ago a meteorite hits a Wolcott home and splits in two.  On May 8^th, another meteorite is discovered after damaging a home in another “W” town just .78 miles away. Freaked out?  But wait…there’s more. All except one of meteorites discovered in Connecticut hit in “W” towns. Weston in 1807, Wethersfield in 1971 and 1982, Wolcott and Waterbury in 2013.

The latest meteorite is about the size and shape of an avocado, weighing in at 1.6 pounds. The space rock smashed through a gutter and landed on the lawn of a Waterbury home. Although it was discovered on May 8^th, the owners of the home are not sure when it crash landed.  The couple contacted the same scientist that identified the Wolcott meteorite, Dr. Stefan Nicolescu, mineralogy collections manager at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History.

Dr. Nicolescu hard at work

Dr. Nicolescu says he diagnosed the object as a meteorite for several reasons.  For starters , the meteorite has a dark fusion crust.  This crust forms during the heated decent into the earth’s atmosphere and can be dark brown/black and is sometimes glassy.  The same heat can also cause contraction cracks formed by rapid heating (expansion) and cooling (shrinking) of the meteorite during/after landfall.  The meteorite has a high density too.  To put it simply…if you compare a meteor to a rock of similar size, the meteor will weigh more.

Here’s the coolest part though.  The meteorite contained chondrules, spherical glassy particles formed before earth from space dust fused together by heat.  Google chondrites.  If you’re a science nerd, you will not be disappointed.

The rock also contained metallic iron and was magnetic

Dr. Nicolescu says “it is highly likely the Waterbury meteorite is related to the April 19 fall in Wolcott.” But Nicolescu will conduct additional tests to confirm.

Which “W” town will get hit next?

Record Low Tornado Numbers

May 2012 - April 2013 holds the record for the lowest number of EF1 + tornadoes in a 12 month period (records go back to 1954).

The previous record of 247 from the 12 month period ending May 1992 was shattered big time.

Funny that the last two quiet years followed the most active year on record. In the 12 month period ending April 2011, a record 358 EF1+ tornadoes touched down.

Mid-Upper 70s Tomorrow, 60s Friday

Normally we look to places like Pennsylvania or New York for our upcoming weather.  But a big traffic blockage in the atmosphere is reversing the norm.  Instead, a front will be tracking in from the Canadian Maritimes.  This “back door” cold front will bring increasing clouds Thursday (mainly late).  There is a slight chance for a sprinkle or shower but most of the state will stay dry. While Thursday looks mild, Friday is cooler behind the front with another warming trend this weekend.

We gain 58 minutes of daylight this month!

As a side note, April was the 3rd driest on record for Bridgeport, 11th driest for Windsor Locks.

Rain, Rain, Stays Away!

The weather this week looks quiet! That can be good or bad depending on who you ask.   Dry weather will allow your outdoor plans to go off without a hitch.  But a soaking rain could also prove beneficial!  Lawns and gardens are dry right now with a 2”-3” rainfall deficit for the month of April! Rain can also help wash the tree pollen out of the air.  But with high pressure anchoring itself over New England, dry weather will persist all the way through next weekend (which looks fantastic).

Meet The Team This Weekend!

UConn Victory Parade

GO HUSKIES!  I had a chance to celebrate another great women's basketball season by cruising the streets in the Storm Tracker with the FOX CT crew. We had a blast!

Could I get any cooler?

Dan Amarante and I cruising the parade in the Storm Tracker

With Louisa Moller and Brent Hardin who were running around like
crazy passing out newspapers while I relaxed with Dan in the Storm Tracker!

My Sis Helping Me In The Weather Center Tonight!

Spring Returns!

Spring returns on Thursday with temperatures returning to the 50s! High pressure will provide full sunshine accompanied by a south breeze. A big storm in the south will begin to creep in our direction. It’s a close call but the bulk of the rain and wind will miss Connecticut. Clouds will thicken up on Friday with the chance for a shower or two (mainly southeast) as the storm scoots by.Real pattern change coming up next week as the NAO goes from negative to neutral or even positive. Our first 70 degree day is not too far away!

Extra Spring In Your Step

Each day feels a little more “spring-like” than the day before it.  So when will 60s and 70s return? Don’t hold your breath! While this harsh winter pattern is starting to relax, there is no major pattern change on the way. In fact, the Climate Prediction Center is calling for below average temperatures to continue into the first half of April.  A sprinkle or flurry is possible at times through Friday with a mix of sun and clouds.

More sun returns this weekend with highs in the low to mid 50s. Showers are possible late Sunday.  But I think they’ll hold off until Monday.  Rain is likely on Monday with temps in the 50s followed by a cool down and 40s by this time next week.

Tomorrow: Mix sun & clouds. Chance sprinkle/flurry. High: 45-50

Wednesday: Mix sun & clouds. Chance sprinkle/flurry. High: 45-50

Thursday: Chance early snow shower/shower then turning partly cloudy. High: 45-50

Friday: Mix sun & clouds. Chance sprinkle. High: Near 50

Saturday: Partly cloudy. High: Low 50s

Sunday: Mostly sunny. High: Mid 50s

Monday: Rain likely. High: Mid 50s

Tuesday: Early snow shower, then some clearing. High: low-mid 40s

Hamden Middle School

Today I had the pleasure of hanging out with Mrs. Yaffe's 7th grade English class at Hamden Middle School! Great group of kids. They interviewed me for the school newspaper as part of their final project. Thank you so much for having me! No short jokes, please. ;)

A Bit Of Snow Thursday

Hello spring! The vernal equinox occurred at 7:02 AM. But the chilly air will be similar to the cold everyone in the office has been fighting off…never-ending. Below average temperatures will continue right through the beginning of April.

 An ocean storm will make meteorologists a little nervous on Thursday. (What else is new this season?) Although the center of low pressure will remain well out to sea, a few bands of snow on the outer edge could materialize. The best chance for snow will be for areas south and east of Hartford where a dusting or coating is possible (maybe up to an inch in New London if everything comes together just right). Skies will remain mostly cloudy with the chance for a few flurries or a period of light snow, mainly in the afternoon and evening. High temperatures will remain stuck in the 30s.

A flurry is possible on Friday too with a mix of sun and clouds and temperatures climbing up around the 40 degree mark.

The weekend isn’t too bad! I can’t use the words “warmer” without cringing because temps will still remain below average. Let’s call it “moderating temps” with highs that could reach into the mid 40s with partly to mostly sunny skies.

Here’s the deal with the coastal storm early next week. Right now the computer models are showing a strong storm developing near the Carolinas and moving due east. That would mean a close call with a glancing blow. Sounds better than a direct hit, right?

Well… 

I’m not quite ready to buy into that solution as much as I want to. That’s not to say it can’t happen. But I want to watch this storm. With the current weather pattern (negative North Atlantic Oscillation) and our luck this year, this storm could still change its mind and come back to bite us. We’ll put flurries in the forecast for now and watch closely. Very closely.

Bridgeport's 2nd Snowiest Season

This is officially the second snowiest season on record for Bridgeport with 64.3” of snow! The ’95-’96 season holds the number one spot at 75.7”. Not many are in a rush to break that record. Spring arrives at 7:02 AM on Wednesday but winter cold isn’t going anywhere.  In fact, there is no big warm up on the horizon. 

Tonight: A leftover snow shower is possible overnight.  As temps drop below freezing, any wet roads could refreeze causing icy spots. Low: 20s

Wednesday: Partly cloudy, breezy and chilly!  Winds will howl out of the northwest with gusts up to 35 mph. A brief snow shower or flurry could pop up in the afternoon. High: 39-42

Thursday: Mostly cloudy. High: Upper 30s. A coastal storm will come close…but this one looks like a miss with the chance for a snow shower or some flurries.

Friday: Mix sun & clouds. High: near 40

Saturday & Sunday: Partly to mostly sunny. Highs: Low to mid 40s

Monday & Tuesday: Watching another potential coastal storm. Right now it appears the storm could miss.  But with a -NAO we need to keep an eye on this one!

Weekend Of Parade Fun!

Making fun of the "parade wave"
With Rachel Lutzker & Erika Arias

The ladies of FOX CT

With Erika Arias and Weston from the Sphinx Shriners Motor Patrol Newington, CT

With Joe Furey and the Sphinx Shriners Motor Patrol Newington, CT

Check out this AWESOME video of us getting ready for the parade