Connecticut Coast to See Coldest Month on Record in February 2015

We might not have the record snow of Boston (where season totals just topped 100 inches last night 2/24/15) but down here along the Connecticut coast we're on the brink of having not only the coldest February on record but also the coldest Month on Record!   

Bridgeport, Connecticut is the official coastal weather station for the area. It is located on the eastern edge of Fairfield County and is only a town over from my hometown. National Weather Service climate data for coastal Connecticut is taken at this station. 

One thing to note about this station, where sub-zero temps are actually very hard to attain, is that the weather station sticks out on a small piece of land that juts into Long Island Sound. This has a moderation effect on the stations records since its surrounded on three sides by the warmer waters in the winter and cooler waters in the summer. 

Although this winter, even the waters of Long Island Sound have gotten really cold! Check out these photos I took of sea ice in Long Island Sound. 

So with only a few days left in the month of February, will February 2015 go down as the coldest month on record (aka the coldest month in a hundred years!)? We'll find out in a few days! 

In the meantime, check out the graphic released by the National Weather Service below! 

Long Island Sound or the Arctic? Sea Ice Forming Along Coast

The arctic outbreak continues here in the Northeast, everyday inching closer to being the coldest month on record (that's the coldest month in about 100 years!) for the Connecticut coastline. This February 2015 Arctic Outbreak is certainly one to remember. Every day I go to the beach and the ice just gets thicker and thicker, something I have never personally seen.  Usually winters along the Connecticut coast are a battle zone for the rain/snow line, this year that battlefield is frozen over!  

Once again, here is the flag at Anchor Beach in Milford, Connecticut. Notice the thin layer of ice that surrounds the rock as well as the rest of the water within the photo. 

Here's another view of the flag, along with the frozen over Long Island Sound! Incredible! 

Looking out over Long Island Sound towards Long Island and ice covers the water out or at least 300 yards! 

Another picture looking towards the West Haven, CT coastline from Milford. Ice everywhere!  

Another view from Milford looking towards Long Island, over the extensive ice sheet forming on Long Island Sound. 

To go along with my photos of Long Island Sound Sea Ice, check out these MODIS Satellite images and check out the ice forming on Long Island Sound and up near Cape Cod. 

Now here's an impressive MODIS Satellite image! Delaware Bay is full of ice and so is the Chesapeake Bay! Anymore ice and it will look like the film "The Day After Tomorrow" 

Long Island Sound Freezing Up! Connecticut Frozen Shore!

I'm in complete geek out mode this morning as temperatures once again drop down to zero degrees. February has the potential to be the coldest February on record for many in the Northeast and it certainly is showing! The official temperature of Long Island Sound is 32 degrees and harbors are even colder. In fact it is so cold, ice has begun to form in the salty waters of Long Island Sound! 

I braved the extreme cold this morning to take some photographs of the frozen shoreline. Below are the photos I took with my phone, I have even more on my DSLR camera. 

The first photo is of Anchor Beach in Milford, CT. Notice the accumulated ice on all the rocks and all the ice in the water! Some ice even looked like pancake ice! 

Here's one of those rocks covered in thick ice. Remember this is frozen salt water!! 

Milford Harbor is completely frozen over! But it sure looks pretty! 

Another view of the frozen harbor, the ice to the left is buckled due to flowing water from a small river that feeds into the harbor. 

The river that flows through downtown Milford and into the Harbor. 

Milford's famous Charles Island looks pretty cold from the shore of Gulf Beach! Look at all that ice around the shore! 

A beach day at Gulf Beach? Maybe not, those are large chunks of ice floating in slushy salt water along the beach! 

Finally, a satellite view of Long Island Sound this morning, February 20, 2015. If you look closely at the northern edge of Long Island Sound, you will see a thin line of white, that's all the ice on Long Island sound and some of it was captured on my camera this morning! 

Impressive Winter Scenes From Space! MODIS Satellite Images

The fun thing about getting pictures from space is getting to see the impacts of weather on a large scale. These high resolution images below were taken by the MODIS Satellite and it captures some pretty cool and cold phenomena happening in the northeast United States! 

This first image is of southern New England, specifically Long Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Cape Cod and of course Long Island Sound. It's been labeled with a few different cool features. This includes ice on Long Island Sound, an iced over Connecticut river, the scar from the Springfield, MA tornado and more ice in Buzzard's Bay on the South end of Cape Cod. 

And in case you didn't realize, the ground is covered in white due to snow cover! All of New England has had snow on the ground for weeks now! 

The next image is of Lake Ontario, with Canada to the north (top of the image) and upstate New York to the south (bottom of the image). When this image was taken on February 16, 2015 the lake was only partially frozen, which means it's still open to lake effect snows!

Here's another close up view of the Cape Cod area, which is covered in snow! Also check out the ice in the bays! Pretty impressive! 

The image below is of the Finger Lakes area of upstate New York. Notice, only two of the lakes are left unfrozen. Those lakes are  Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake, which are the two deepest lakes in the United States. Since they are a lot deeper than the other lakes, relatively warmer water is able to mix to the surface, keeping the surface from forming ice. 

Extreme Cold on the Way and Igloo Icons!

After an intense windstorm with some snow Valentine's night into Sunday the 15th (Blizzard warnings are up!) then the extreme cold makes a visit. Check out this hourly forecast from Weatherbug for my hometown of Milford, Connecticut. Milford is along Long Island Sound, which has a maritime influence on our climate. Milford rarely gets below zero but in this forecast we get down to -3 degrees! We also see windchill temps down to -24 degrees! 

Finally, something you don't normally see everyday, an igloo as a forecast icon for the weather! So cool and so cold! 

Don't Cry Northerners! Memes of Winter in Florida

As the endless train of winter storms continue to hammer the north east United States (especially Boston) some people can't resist poking a little fun at the climatic difference between the states! Check out these funny (or just plain mean) memes and cartoons describing winters in Florida. If you are from New England, try not to cry! 

That sand just keeps getting deeper, put extra sunscreen on as you dig out the sand to make your sand castle! 

Not enjoying the winter months? You must not be a Floridian! 

Smart advertising or cruel, cruel joke? 

Punxsutawney Phil has some competition! 

What the hell are you doing shoveling snow? 

Postcard source

How do you use your salt?

Hilarious Snow Day Cartoons and Memes

It's pretty safe to say at this point that Boston is having a historic winter. They've already broken the record for the most snow in a seven day period and are on the verge of breaking the record for most snow in a 30 day period (which they actually will do in probably 17 days!). As of the morning of February 9th 2015, Boston has 60 inches of snow on the ground. With a massive and possibly historic cold coming at the end of this week, the funny cartoon makes even more sense! I found this first cartoon being retweeted on Twitter by @MBTATransitPD  I thought it was hilarious! 

The next cartoon was also discovered on Twitter and could apply to any blizzard. 

This next one is very appropriate coming just days after Groundhog Day. This is exactly how many are feeling in the Boston area! 

As the northeast continues to get snow storm after snow storm, snow days have piled up just as high. Some districts are even running out of make up days and may be end up going to school until June 30th! So the meme below is beyond appropriate for the northeast this winter, is Oprah giving out free snow days? I think so! 

Happy National Weatherpersons Day!

It's February 5th 2015, also know as National Weatherperson's Day!!! According to wikipedia 

"It recognizes individuals in the fields of meteorology, weather forecasting and broadcast meteorology, as well as volunteer storm spotters and observers. It is observed on the birthday of John Jeffries, one of the United States' first weather observers who took daily measurements starting in 1774"

Read more about John Jeffries in the graphic below which I found on Twitter, posted by Thomas Iwinski @DopplerTom 

And below is a funny meme (eCard) that I found for the day! 

Then of course there's the food to celebrate! Look at these delicious treats found on Twitter! 

#Weather #Cupcakes 2celebrate #meteorologists' holiday! RT“@EmaleeJ: @DaleUnruhJr Happy #NationalWeatherpersonsDay! pic.twitter.com/s6ZQN6keMy”
— Cheryl Nelson (@CherylNelsonWx) February 5, 2015

S/O to @HEB_Waco for the AMAZING cupcake arrangement! Thank you! @MattHinesTX @ConleyIsom #NationalWeatherpersonsDay pic.twitter.com/0Nnnya4JGj
— Camille Manning (@camillemanning) February 5, 2015

Snowy northeast From Above

Check out these cool visible satellite images of the Northeast on the afternoon of February 3, 2015. After the snowiest week on record in Boston with 40.3 inches of snow in a week. A number of storms have blanketed the area in white. Yes, most of the white on this satellite images is snow and not clouds. Although there are some clouds on the map.

Check out how far south the snowpack is and its a pretty deep snowpack!