HARTFORD, Conn. — 2023 was a year to remember in New England weather. You can take a look back at some of the highlights here.
Now that the year is over, the numbers are in. It's one of the warmest and wettest on record in Connecticut.
Records for the Hartford area date back to 1905. 2023 comes in as the second warmest on record, behind 2012. The summer wasn't so hot, with June and August below average. But several other months, including January and December, running much warmer than average, helped tip the scale.
A single weather event or single year can't tell us much about our climate as a whole, but 2023 does fit into the larger trend of our climate warming.
7 out of the 10 warmest years have been since 2000, while all of the top 10 coldest years were before 1979.
A similar trend is seen in the Bridgeport area, the observing site representing the shoreline, though the period of record there isn't quite as long.
2023 comes in fifth warmest. 8 out of the 10 warmest years have been since 2000, while 6 of the 10 coldest years were before 1979. Record-keeping began in 1949.
It was also one of the wettest years on record, but what's interesting is we had so much rainfall without any tropical systems.
Other years topping the list included tropical systems: 2011 (Irene), 1972 (Agnes), and 1955 (Connie and Diane).
Warmer air holds more moisture, and one of the more clear trends in our warming climate is when it rains, it can pour. As we saw numerous times in 2023, particularly over the summer, that's what unfolded. Making the list of wettest years in the absence of a land-falling tropical system is impressive.
Ryan Breton is a meteorologist at FOX61 News. He can be reached at rbreton@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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