A Break From The Summer Sizzle

Our summer fever finally broke!  High pressure will bring less humid air and slightly cooler temperatures the next few days. Tonight will be great for sleeping.  You can actually open the windows and let some fresh air in.  temperatures will drop down around the 60 degree mark.

Monday will remain mostly sunny with fluffy fair weather clouds popping up.  A sea breeze will develop in the afternoon keeping the shoreline cooler than inland areas. High temperatures will climb into the mid to upper 80s with no humidity! A wave of low pressure riding along a front stalled over the mid-Atlantic will bring the chance for a shower or two on Tuesday, but most towns should stay dry. The humidity doesn’t return until next weekend!

Oh Hail!

Here are just a few hail pics and a video just in case you missed out on the nasty storms on Sunday!

Tom Emmanuele, Cheshire

 

 Ed, Watertown 

Jess, Cheshire

 Steve, Cheshire

 Wind Damage in Woodstock on RT 198, Josh Bottone

Large Hail Today, Storms Return July 4th

I have never seen so many storms with large hail in Connecticut. Hail the size of ping pongs fell from Litchfield county down to Old Saybrook with a long duration supercell. Although other hail was reported across the state, that one storm was by far the meanest. Check out the path of hail reports below (everywhere you see the purple hail icon).

Although tomorrow will not be as humid, it’s still hot with temperatures in theupper 80s. Sunshine will stick around the next two days. But watch for storms to redevelop just in time for the fourth of July. Morning clouds and showers will break for sun. The more sun we get in the afternoon, the better chance we have of seeing severe weather. So keep that in mind when you planning for the holiday. Mother Nature might be making her own fireworks. I know. That was a horrible weather joke.

Congrats Miss Connecticut 2012!!

Congratulations to Jaine Coann Lefevbre - Miss Connecticut's Outstanding Teen 2012 and to Miss Connecticut 2012- Emily Audibert! Check out the photo gallery on the Courant website.  It was a long three days.  I went from being a stranger to the Miss Connecticut Scholarship Pageant, to a big fan!  I feel like I got to know the contestant's personalities.  I also see how competing in pageants helps woman grow by developing their interview skills and talents.  

You don't even want to know the kind of chaos going on behind the scenes.  There were constant re-writes, additions, changes...it was insane!  Thankfully Lisa was back stage to help me!

I had another gorgeous gown from the Crowning Touch in New Bedford, MA and thanks to Stephanie for my hair and makeup!

Miss Connecticut Night Two

Second night in and I'm already starting to get to know some of the girls.  I'm normally a nervous wreck before big public speaking enagements.  (I can't actually SEE the people watching me on TV on a nightly basis.) But tonight I'm more nervous for the ladies!  They all put so much hard work into the scholarship competition. I have my favorites...even though I'm not supposed to.

Here is a pic of me with Miss CT 2011(far right), Miss Outstanding Teen 2011 (far left) and the winners after the preliminary competition.

I can't actually see the people in the audience because the lights are so bright.  So it's really hard to picture them naked.

Thanks again to Crowning Touch Salon in New Bedford, MA for the dress and Brian Fortin for doing my makeup and styling my hair (both the real and the fake curly extensions).

I'm Hosting Miss Connecticut!

I just finished the first night of preliminaries including competitions in fitness, evening gowns, interviews, talent...this is intense!  I don't envy the pressure these girls are under!  Katie Stevens made a surprise appearance last night.  I guess the American Idol star was a runner up for Miss Outstanding Teen a couple of years ago.

These women sure know how to strut their stuff on stage! Walking around in a swimsuit at the beach is tough enough, but to do it in front of an audience takes balls....er...guts.

The Crowning Touch Salon in New Bedford, MA provided my attire last night.  They brought two garment bags full of dressses.  There was just one problem.  None of them fit me.  Note to self, don't watch a YouTube video on how to take your own measurements.  Apparently I told them I had JLo's booty. A girl can dream, can't she? We still made it work.  Thank you Marla for helping to pin me in all the right spots so I didn't fall out of the dress! On the final night of compeition I'll be channeling my inner Lady Gaga. 

Brian did my hair and makeup...Yes, I'm under all those eyelashes! Apparently my sister showed this pic to my grandparent's last night and there response was "who is that?"

The ladies taught me how to pose pageant style.  One leg in front of the other (the leg on the side of the slit).  Hand on your hip. I borrowed "pageant shoes" from Morgan Amarone, Miss CT 2011.  What are pageant shoes you ask?  After intense study, I have concluded that they're just classy low profile platforms.  Very comfy. Oh and the dangly earrings are clip ons.  They don't hurt until you take them off and the blood rushes back into your ears.  Pain is beauty.

Mean E-mails

I would like to preface this by saying that I get a lot of really nice messages from people.  Every time I do, I get an extra skip in my step, it makes my day!

But every once in a while I get a nasty e-mail that bothers me for weeks. I know I'm supposed to have a thick skin being in the public eye...apparently mine is still growing in. People always ask me what kind of "mean" e-mails I get.  Here is the latest one!

Rachel,

 We watch Fox news every night because we like to get the lottery results;unfortunately,you do the weather before the numbers are drawn and in are opinion and many other people we have spoken to you show far too much skin and find your clothing style very in appropriate for tv viewing especially if children happen to be watching.For example,the white dress you were wearing was far too short and also very unattractive.You are the only one on the broadcast who dresses this way.Take a look around at your co-workers and you might see what I am talking about. Time to grow up Rachel.

On another note, I'm super excited about the new "virtual studio" graphic I created!

Powerful Storms Break The Humidity

The threat for severe weather is over! The first round of storms moved through from 7 AM – 10 AM.  I don't know about you but I couldn't stay asleep with all that thunder! I kept feeling the need to grab my phone and refresh the radar.  The second line of storms developed around 2:30 PM in Litchfield County then fell apart in eastern Connecticut around 6 PM.  There were many reports of lightning strikes along with small hail,  flash flooding and wind damage.  Thousands of Connecticut residents were left in the dark!

A lingering shower or storm is possible early tonight. Then skies will turn partly cloudy and the humidity will drop.  Tonight will be cooler and comfy so you may want to keep the windows open tonight!

The area of low pressure that triggered severe weather today will slowly move offshore.  But the effects of that storm will still be felt  tomorrow.  Tomorrow will feature a mix of sun and clouds.  But any sun that we get will actually help increase the instability in the atmosphere.  A few showers or a rumble of thunder are possible, especially in the afternoon. Tomorrow temperatures will remain seasonably cool, in the 70s. In fact, some of you may call tomorrow "cool", at least for a day in June!

Watch for a warm up starting on Wednesday.  Temperatures will be back flirting with the 90 degree mark later this week! 

Cooler But Wet!

Here is the cool down many of you were waiting for! . But the cooler temperatures come with a wet price tag An approaching cold front will cause clouds to thicken up tonight. Showers and areas of rain will develop after midnight. Monday will feature lots of clouds with periods of rain and scattered thunderstorms.

Some of the storms could be strong with lots of lightning and heavy rain. Tuesday will be even cooler with mostly cloudy skies and the chance for a scattered shower. Temperatures will begin to warm up on Wednesday with a mix of sun and clouds. By the end of the week, temperatures climb up near 90 again!

June Heat...Records Will Fall

Summer arrives June 20th at 7:09 PM and the season will kick off with record breaking heat and a heat wave with three days in a row of temperatures in the 90s! The dramatic change begins Wednesday as blow torch southwesterly winds pump in the sizzling heat and humidity that has been roasting much of the nation.

A Heat Advisory is in effect for parts of central and western Connecticut from noon to 8 PM Wednesday.  A Heat Advisory is issued when the combination of heat and humidity create a situation where heat illness is possible.  The heat index will be between 99-104 degrees for inland Connecticut. That’s how hot it will feel outside!

An Air Quality Alert is in effect for southern Connecticut including Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex, and New London Counties. Ground level ozone will be at unhealthy levels for sensitive groups from 11 AM to 11 PM Wednesday. Those with respiratory problems should limit the amount of time spent outside.

Temperatures both Wednesday and Thursday will range between 95-100 degrees inland, 90-95 along the shoreline. The shoreline temperature is a little trickier. Any shift in wind over the Long Island Sound will keep temperatures cooler than inland areas. But if the wind stays westerly, temperatures will skyrocket! The humidity will be higher on Wednesday but temperatures will be slightly higher Thursday.

How rare is this June heat? Connecticut has only hit 100 degrees in June twice on record (records date back to 1905).  This could also be the earliest 100 degree day on record. The record high temperature in the greater Hartford area is 96 degrees both Wednesday and Thursday. The record high temperature in Bridgeport is 93 degrees on Wednesday and 95 degrees on Thursday. Those records will be challenged or broken!

Friday also looks hot but not as oppressive with temperatures near 90. A cold front will likely break the heat late day and may be accompanied by thunderstorms.