Technical Analysis: Weather Shifts from Above Average to Below with Showers

Showers are tracking across Connecticut this morning. Carry an umbrella if you head out. Temperatures started well above normal.

Short-term forecast

Yesterday featured very warm readings, near 80 degrees in parts of the state. Today will be milder. Inland highs will reach the low 70s. Shoreline highs will stay in the mid-60s.

Scattered showers and a few thunderstorms are likely this afternoon across southern Connecticut. The wet band will push northward into the evening and overnight. Rain is tied to a boundary moving through Southern New England, with low pressure riding along it.

Late week and weekend

Thursday will be mostly cloudy with drizzle in places due to an onshore Atlantic flow. Air behind the boundary will be much cooler, with highs only in the 40s on the cold side. Friday sees the boundary lift north and milder southwesterly winds return. Expect mostly cloudy skies and highs near 60-65.

Saturday should be mild and mostly dry, with mid-60s possible and only isolated showers or storms. Sunday, Easter, begins dry but a cold frontal passage brings rain and possibly thunder near and after sunset.

Next week outlook

Behind the weekend front, Monday looks more seasonable and breezy with improving conditions. Tuesday currently appears dry with a mix of sun and clouds. Highs should top out in the mid-50s.

Technical Analysis: Weather Shifts from Above Average to Below with Showers informs this pattern change.

March highlights

Early March featured record and near-record warmth at several locations. On March 9, Bridgeport tied a daily high of 64 degrees. The Hartford area reached 70 that day, its first 70 since the previous October.

March 10 brought an exceptional warm spell to the Hartford area. The high reached 79, beating the prior March 10 record of 72. The next day produced an official high of 74, one degree shy of the 1977 mark.

Winter recap and major storms

Meteorological winter, from December 1 to February 28, ran colder and snowier than average. The season average temperature was 25.6 degrees, about 4.1 degrees below normal. Snowfall totaled 52.3 inches, roughly 13.2 inches above typical values.

Bridgeport reported 55.9 inches of snow, some 31.2 inches above average.

Blizzard Calvin

Blizzard Calvin met blizzard criteria at three NWS sites: Bridgeport, New Haven, and Groton/New London. Criteria included visibility at or below a quarter mile and winds at or above 35 mph for three hours. Southeastern shoreline towns reported heavy accumulations. Stonington measured 30.8 inches, and Mystic reported about two feet. Wind gusts reached 55 mph along the coast.

The last comparable blizzard in the area was Charlotte in February 2013, which dropped 22.3 inches in Hartford and 40 inches in Hamden.

Winter Storm Benjamin

Winter Storm Benjamin produced widespread heavy snow on January 25. The Hartford area recorded 17.3 inches, exceeding the previous big storm from 2017. Most locations saw 12 to 20 inches, with Falls Village topping the list at 22.0 inches. Snowfall rates reached one to two inches per hour. Cold air produced very low single-digit temperatures and subzero wind chills.

Winter Storm Abraham

Late December’s Winter Storm Abraham brought the season’s first significant snowfall. Snow began on the evening of December 26 and continued into the 27th. Several central and western towns recorded more than six inches. Notable totals included 10.5 inches in New Milford and 9.9 inches in New Preston.

Other notable 2025 weather events

• January 7: A small earthquake occurred near Moodus at 5:36 p.m. The USGS located it one mile south of Moodus. Magnitude measured 1.9 at 5.6 miles depth.
• December 19: Strong southerly winds gusted into the 60s mph. Groton recorded 67 mph, Willimantic 64, and Middletown 63. Bradley reached 58 degrees, setting a daily warmth record.
• December 5: Arctic air produced record cold readings. Bridgeport dropped to 15 degrees, breaking a 1989 record. The Hartford area fell to 5 degrees.
• December 2: A coastal storm produced mixed precipitation. Canaan recorded 5.0 inches of snow, and Bradley had its first measurable snow of the season at 2.4 inches.
• October 30–31: Heavy rain fell statewide. Hamden saw 3.99 inches, Waterbury 3.94, and Bristol 3.26. Wind gusts exceeded 50 mph at times.
• August 2025: The month averaged 69.6 degrees, 2.9 degrees below normal. Bradley measured 2.45 inches of rain. Bridgeport had its driest summer on record since 1948 with 3.85 inches.
• July 2025: July became the 8th wettest on record at Bradley with 7.81 inches. A late-July heat wave produced highs up to 96 degrees at Bradley.
• July 3 and July 25: Severe storms caused widespread impacts. On July 3, a 49 mph gust was recorded at Bradley and over 27,500 customers lost power. On July 25, hot, humid air and a cold front led to severe thunderstorms and many fallen trees.
• May 22: A nor’easter brought over three inches of rain to southeastern Connecticut. Cold conditions produced unusually low daytime highs for late May.

2025 annual summary for the Hartford area

The calendar year average temperature was 51.5 degrees, about 0.5 degrees above normal. Total precipitation measured 46.63 inches, roughly 0.42 inches below the long-term average of 47.05 inches. Annual snowfall totaled 27.2 inches, well below the typical 51.7 inches. There were no confirmed tornadoes in Connecticut in 2025, the first year without twisters since 2017.

For more local forecasts and alerts, visit Filmogaz.com for updates from the First Alert Weather Team.