CONNECTICUT, USA — 2023 has been a wild year for weather in Connecticut, ranging from Arctic cold, massive flooding, and even tornado touchdowns.
So let's take a look back at everything the year had to offer!
Arctic Cold February
The beginning of February saw record-breaking cold with sub-zero temperatures, the coldest in 5 years!
Wind chills reached up to -40. Pipes burst and the combination of dry air and gusty winds sparked fires.
Winter Warmth
Cold was the exception this winter. The season featured above-average with below-average snowfall.
March Snow
After a quiet Winter, Connecticut got the biggest storm of the season in March. For snow lovers, it was better late than never. The Litchfield Hills saw over a foot of heavy wet snow, taking down trees and power lines.
Flight cancelations had travelers stranded. But the storm was highly elevation-dependent. It was mostly rain in lower elevations.
Summer Rain
Rain was seemingly non-stop this summer, especially on the weekends. There were multiple days with heavy rain and storms through the month of July in particular. Roads flooded and bridges washed away, cutting off communities and leaving homes stranded.
The CT river swelled to the highest summer levels in 50 years, saturating the ground and ruining crops for farmers in Rocky hill and Glastonbury.
It was declared a disaster. Farmers were approved for federal aid.
Debris raging down swollen rivers dumped into Long Island Sound, shutting down beaches due to dangerous debris.
No surprise here…July was the wettest on record with nearly 14” of rain in the Hartford area.
Three Tornadoes
Some of the rain this year came with severe weather. Three tornadoes touched down in 2023. On August 12, illuminated by lightning, an EF-0 tornado struck farmland in Roxbury with zero warning. Eyewitness accounts along with cell phone video helped the National Weather Service make the confirmation.
Then on August 15, a rare regional tornado outbreak happened. Five tornadoes touched down in New England, including an EF-2 in Rhode Island. For us here in CT, it was an EF-1 in Scotland.
One month later, another outbreak! This time four tornadoes touched down in New England, including one in Killingly.
Since then, it has been a quiet end to 2023. But we'll be ready for whatever comes this way in 2024.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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