Connecticut Weather Report: Current Alerts & Recent History Explained Simply

Quick Note: This report comes from the WFSB First Alert Weather Team in Connecticut. It covers what’s happening right now plus a look back at major weather events from 2025–2026.

Current Weather Alert (Early August 2026)

What’s Happening Right Now?

A slow-moving storm system (an area of low pressure) is creeping toward Connecticut. Think of it like a wet sponge slowly squeezing out over the state.

Right This Minute	Details
Rain	Steady rounds of rain, heavy at times. Isolated thunderstorms possible.
Temperatures	Lower 70s now → dropping to mid/upper 60s later.
Travel	Difficult! Heavy rain = poor visibility + flooding risk.
Rainfall Rate	1–2 inches per hour (that’s a lot — like a fire hose on your street).

IMPORTANT: FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT

Where: Entire state of Connecticut

When: Through today

Why: Downpours could cause flash flooding and poor drainage flooding (water pooling on roads/low spots).

Total Rain Expected: 2–4 inches widespread. Some spots could see even more due to "training storms."

What Are "Training Storms"?

Imagine a train of storm cars moving along the same track — one after another — over your neighborhood. Each "car" drops heavy rain. The ground can’t absorb it fast enough → major flooding risk.

What’s Next? (Day-by-Day)

Day	Forecast	Key Details
Today	Heavy rain, storms	First Alert Weather Day — highest risk. Level 3/4 risk (Hartford/central CT).
Tomorrow	Scattered showers, overcast	Rain lighter, not steady. Flood threat ends. Temps in 70s.
Friday	Mostly dry, some sun	Isolated shower possible. Low 80s — finally seasonable!
Saturday	Mostly sunny	Dry, seasonable, a bit muggy.
Sunday	Sun & clouds	Dry, seasonable.
Monday	Showers/storms possible	Seasonable temps.
Tuesday	Sun & clouds	Low 80s.

Weather History: 2025–2026 Highlights

Here’s a timeline of the wildest, wettest, hottest, and snowiest moments — explained simply.

Heat Waves & Record Heat

1. July 2026: The 2nd Heat Wave of 2026 (Jun 30 – Jul 4)

5 days straight of 90°+ (heat wave = 3+ days at 90°+).
Jul 2: 100° in Hartford — broke 1966 record (99°). First 100° since 2019!
Heat Index (what it feels like with humidity): 105–115° → Extreme Heat Warning.
Bridgeport: Hit 97° (record was 100°), but tied record warmest overnight low (73°).

2. June 2025: The 1st Heat Wave of ’25 (Jun 22–25)

4 days straight of 90°+.
Records shattered daily in Hartford & Bridgeport.
Jun 24: Hartford hit 99° — hottest June day since 1964!
Jun 25: Bridgeport hit 97° — tied warmest June temp ever (since 1948).
Bonus: Record warmest overnight lows on Jun 24 & 25.

3. July 2025: The 3rd Heat Wave of ’25 (Jul 28–30)

3 days: 91°, 96°, 94°.
Jul 29: Hartford tied 1933 record (96°). Bridgeport tied 2002 record (96°).

4. May 2025: Earliest 96° Ever in Hartford (May 19)

1st heat wave of 2025 (4 days: May 19–22).
May 19: 96° — new record (old: 94° in 1962). Hottest day in nearly 10 months!
Bridgeport: 88° (1° off record).

5. April 2025: Third Earliest 90° on Record (Apr 16)

Hartford hit 90° (record: 92°). 3rd earliest 90° since 1905!
Bridgeport: 83° (2° off record).

Major Rain & Flood Events

1. July 21, 2025: Tropical Downpours

Tropical moisture + warm front = flash flooding.
Fairfield County: 5–6 inches (radar estimated 6″).
New Haven County: 3–5 inches.
Rest of CT: 1–3 inches.

2. July 5–7, 2025: Stalled Boundary = Days of Rain

Rain started Jul 5, exploded overnight Jul 6.
Danbury: 5.91″ officially!
Fairfield County: 5″+. Shoreline: 3–5″. Northern CT: 1–2″.
Still River (Brookfield): Reached moderate flood stage.
I-95 corridor: Flood advisories all evening.

3. October 30–31, 2025: Wind & Rain

2–4 inches rain (central/south), 1–2″ north.
Top totals: Hamden 3.99″, Waterbury 3.94″, Bristol 3.26″.
Wind gusts 40–52 mph (Bridgeport: 52 mph).

4. August 20, 2025: Record Cold & Rain

Hartford: 63° — coldest high ever for Aug 20 (broke 1922 record of 70°).
Bridgeport: Tied record cold high (70°).
Heavy rain: 3″+ in Litchfield & Fairfield Counties.

5. July 31, 2025: Low Pressure + Stalled Front

2–3″ rain northwest of I-84.
Top totals: Crystal Lake 3.26″, New Hartford 3.17″.
July 2025 Total at Bradley: 7.81″ → 8th wettest July since 1905.

6. May 22, 2025: Nor’easter in Spring!

3″+ rain in SE CT.
Wind gusts 30+ mph.
Record cold highs: Hartford 49° (tied 1909 record!). Bridgeport 52° (broke 2005 record).
Felt like overnight lows in the 40s — in May!

Severe Storms & Wind Events

1. July 4, 2025: Destructive 4th of July Storms

Hot, humid day → cold front → severe storms.
"Rogue cell" ahead of main line: golf ball hail (Forestville, Bristol), damaging winds.
Main line: Tagged "Destructive" (80 mph gusts!).
Damage: Downed trees/power lines everywhere. 100,000+ outages (UI & Eversource).
Hardest hit: Torrington, Harwinton, Madison.

2. July 25, 2025: Heat + Severe Storms

Low 100s heat index → cold front → strong/severe storms.
Hartford: 95°. Bridgeport: 94° (broke 2001 record).
Many trees down, especially Litchfield & New Haven Counties.

3. July 3, 2025: Severe Storms & Hail

49 mph gust at Bradley.
27,500+ outages. Tree fell on car in Trumbull → 1 injured.
Golf ball hail (1.75″) in Sterling. Hail-covered roads in Danielson.

4. December 19, 2025: Record Warmth + Hurricane-Force Winds

Potent storm over Great Lakes → southerly winds 60+ mph.
Top gusts: Groton 67 mph, Willimantic 64 mph, Middletown 63 mph, Berlin 60 mph.
Scattered outages. ~1″ rain.
Record warmth: Hartford 58° (broke 1949 record of 54°). Bridgeport 57° (tied 1967).

5. October 30–31, 2025: Wind & Rain (see above)

Winter Storms & Snow Events (2025–2026 Season)

1. Blizzard Calvin (Jan 2026) — First Blizzard in 13 Years!

Criteria met at 3 NWS sites: Bridgeport, New Haven, Groton/NL.
- Visibility ≤ 1/4 mile + Winds ≥ 35 mph for ≥ 3 hours.
Snow jackpot: Stonington 30.8″, Mystic 24″. Shoreline 20″+.
Wind gusts 55 mph on shoreline.
Named per WFSB tradition (since 1971). Last blizzard: Charlotte (Feb 2013) — Hamden got 40″!

2. Winter Storm Benjamin (Jan 25–26, 2026) — Biggest Snow in ~Decade

Hartford: 17.3″ (beat 2017’s 16.2″).
Widespread 12–20″. Jackpot: Falls Village 22″.
Sleet mixed in at coast, but still 12″+.
Single-digit temps → fluffy snow ("fluff factor") + wind chills below zero.

3. Winter Storm Abraham (Dec 26–27, 2025) — First Named Storm of Season

6″+ many areas. Top totals: New Milford 10.5″, New Preston 9.9″, Meriden 9″.
Rates 1–3″/hour Friday evening.

4. December 2, 2025: Messy Mix (Snow, Ice, Rain)

Snow NW of I-84 (5″ Canaan, 4″ Simsbury).
Bradley: First measurable snow (2.4″).
Slick roads → many crashes.
Shoreline: All rain (~1″ SE CT).

5. Meteorological Winter (Dec 2025 – Feb 2026): Cold & Snowy

Avg temp: 25.6° ( 4.1° below normal ).
Snow: 52.3″ ( 13.2″ above normal ).
Bridgeport: 55.9″ ( 31.2″ above normal! )

Other Notable Records & Oddities

Event	Details
April 21, 2025: Record Cold	Hartford 27° (tied 1961). Bridgeport 33° (record 29° safe).
March 9–10, 2025: Record Warmth	Mar 9: Bridgeport tied 64° (2021). Hartford 70° (1st 70° since Oct!). Mar 10: Hartford 79° — shattered 2016 record (72°). Mar 11: 74° (1° off record).
January 7, 2026: "Moodus Noises" Earthquake	1.9 magnitude, 5.6 mi deep, 1 mi south of Moodus. Small quake → "Moodus Noises" (historic rumblings near Moodus).
2025 Full Year Summary	Temp: 51.5° (+0.5°). Rain: 46.63″ (-0.42″). Snow: 27.2″ (avg 51.7″). 0 tornadoes (1st time since 2017).
Summer 2025 (Jun–Aug)	Hartford: Near normal (72.2°, +0.3°; 12.39″ rain, -0.27″). Bridgeport: DRIEST SUMMER ON RECORD (3.85″ since 1948; old record 4.13″ in 1995).
18-Weekend Rain Streak Ends	Bradley Airport: 18 weekends straight with trace+ precip (Feb 22 – Jul 5). Wettest: May 31 (1.45″). Included Apr 12 snow (1.5″).

Stay Connected & Prepared

Action	Link
Check Current Alerts	WFSB Weather Alerts
Download iOS App	WFSB First Alert Weather (Apple)
Download Android App	WFSB First Alert Weather (Google Play)
Submit Weather Photos	WFSB Photo Submission

Summary

Right Now: Major flood risk from slow-moving storm. 2–4″+ rain, training storms, difficult travel. Flood Watch statewide.
Next Few Days: Rain tapers → scattered showers Thursday → nice Friday–weekend (sun, low 80s).
Recent History (2025–2026) Was Wild:
- Heat: Multiple record-breaking heat waves (100° in Hartford Jul 2026!).
- Rain/Flood: July 2025 historic flooding (6″+ in spots), 18-weekend rain streak.
- Storms: Destructive July 4th storms (80 mph, 100k outages), Dec 2025 wind event (67 mph).
- Winter: Blizzard Calvin (1st in 13 yrs, 30″+ snow), Winter Storm Benjamin (biggest snow in decade), cold/snowy winter overall.
- Oddities: "Moodus Noises" quake, record cold highs in May, driest summer ever (Bridgeport).

Bottom Line: Connecticut weather doesn’t do "boring." Stay alert, have a way to get warnings (app/NOAA radio), and never drive through flooded roads — turn around, don’t drown!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What’s the difference between a Flood Watch and a Flash Flood Warning?

Flood Watch = "Conditions could lead to flooding. Be ready." (Issued hours/days ahead.)
Flash Flood Warning = "Flooding is happening now or imminent. Take action immediately!" (Life-threatening.)

2. What does "training storms" mean, and why is it dangerous?

It means multiple storms moving over the same area one after another, like train cars on a track. Each drops heavy rain. The ground saturates fast → rapid, severe flooding even if no single storm looks extreme.

3. How is a "heat wave" defined in Connecticut?

Three or more consecutive days with high temperatures ≥ 90°F. (Humidity doesn’t count for the definition, but it makes it feel worse — that’s the Heat Index.)

4. What makes a storm a "Blizzard" vs. just a big snowstorm?

Three criteria must be met for ≥ 3 hours:

Sustained winds or frequent gusts ≥ 35 mph
Visibility ≤ 1/4 mile (from blowing/falling snow)
Falling or blowing snow (not just snow on ground)
Blizzard Calvin hit all three at multiple locations.

5. What are the "Moodus Noises"?

Small, shallow earthquakes near Moodus, CT (East Haddam area). They’ve been reported for centuries — Native Americans called the area "Machimoodus" ("place of bad noises"). The Jan 7, 2026 quake (1.9 magnitude) was a classic example. They’re not dangerous, just loud and startling!

Popular Posts