Date: Fri 02-Aug-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

weather-rain-summer

Full Text:

Summer To Return From Its Vacation Next Week

B Y K AAREN V ALENTA

If it's any consolation, we're probably going to get our first heat wave of

the summer next week.

Gary Lessor, meteorologist at the Western Connecticut State University weather

center, said the upper level high pressure center over Canada which has been

channeling cool air across New England for months is expected to be replaced

by a large Bermuda system which will push temperatures up through the 80s and

into the 90s.

"We'll likely get our first heat wave and people will be complaining about

that," he said.

People had cause to complain on Wednesday of this week when what should have

been the hottest day of the year turned out to be the coldest.

"July 31 was what we call a heating degree day - the average temperature in

the Danbury area was below 65 degrees," Mr Lessor explained. "Normally we

don't get any degree days in July."

July's average temperature was 71 degrees, or 1.3 degrees below the normal of

72.3 degrees. That's significant, he said, and is a big change from last year

when the average temperature in July was 77.7 degrees.

The temperature topped 90 only on July 18 this year when it edged up to 91

degrees in the Danbury area. The rest of the state didn't record a single 90

degree day, he said.

Rainfall topped 10 inches in July, far above the norm of 3.87 inches.

"There was measurable precipitation on 16 of the 31 days," Mr Lessor said. "We

also had tornadoes in Wolcott and Waterbury on July 3 and in Monroe on July

9."

The cool temperatures and cloudy skies have delayed many crops and are playing

havoc with gardens and lawns, many of which have become waterlogged and are

rotting. The dampness also has spurred the growth of fungii, including one

type known as brown patch which makes lawns look unsightly.

Mr Lessor said the same weather system caused the record snowy winter and the

dismal spring which was experienced throughout New England.

"When the upper level low pressure system from Canada interacts with the warm

air from the south, you get a lot of precipitation," he explained. "That

should change next week."

"I sure hope so," said Kym Stendahl, co-chairman of the Newtown Summer

Festival which stages the Labor Day Parade each year.

"This summer has been terrible. I've had two kids home with chicken pox and

with all these rainy days, it's just been awful."