Strong cooling this weekend, cool start to next week and record temperatures

FORECAST:

At this point I’m sure sounding like a broken record, but the dry weather pattern in Connecticut is here to stay. The drought monitor is still the same, but there is now a moderate drought in northwest Litchfield County. This is likely to get worse as the weather turns drier.

A warning is in effect on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. This means there is a significantly increased potential for fire growth. Affected areas currently include Fairfield and New Haven counties. Winds will increase from the northwest at speeds of 10-15 mph, with gusts up to 25-30 mph. The relative humidity will be low. If a fire breaks out, it can spread quickly due to the combination of weather and very dry brush and vegetation.

The number of days without rain will increase and it doesn’t look like there will be any rain for the rest of the month. This means this will be the driest October on record for Bridgeport, the climate location at Sikorsky Airport (BDR). Records have been kept since 1948. The driest month ever recorded there was June 1949, with 0.07 inches of rain. With currently 0.16 inches per month, the year 2024 is in second place. Compared to normal precipitation, the BDR decreased by 3.01 inches.

The last measurable rainfall was October 7th at 0.16 inches. That’s 18 days so far, on Saturday it’s 19. The last time there was heavier rain was on September 26th with 0.29 inches. The count is 28, i.e. 29 days.

It will be slightly warmer on Saturday, but will cool down significantly on Saturday evening and Sunday.

The start of next week will be cool, but the usual 70-degree temperatures will return on Wednesday and Thursday. There’s a chance we could have record temperatures later next week.

CLIMATE: Normal Bridgeport temperatures: 61/45

TONIGHT: Partly cloudy, cool. Low of 48.

SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy and windy. Highest value of 66.

SUNDAY: Sunny and much cooler. Airy. Highest value of 56.

MONDAY: Sunny and cool. Maximum value of 55.

TUESDAY: Mostly sunny. Highest value of 62.

WEDNESDAY: Mostly sunny, mild. Highest value of 72.

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny, windy and cooler. Highest score of 77.

FRIDAY: Mostly sunny and seasonal. Highest score of 71.