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Bitter Cold To Continue As Fairfield County Temps Hit Record Lows

DANBURY, Conn. – Fairfield County has been seeing record-breaking cold temperatures this month, and the frigid weather is likely to continue well into March.

Pedestrians in Danbury bundle up to contend with the record-breaking cold temperatures the area has seen.

Pedestrians in Danbury bundle up to contend with the record-breaking cold temperatures the area has seen.

Photo Credit: Skip Pearlman

The temperature reached 13 degrees below zero in Danbury on Tuesday, the coldest it has been since it hit 16 degrees below on Jan. 11, 1988, according to Gary Lessor, assistant to the director of meteorological studies and the Weather Center at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. Bridgeport also saw a record low, reaching zero degrees, which broke the old record of 12 degrees set on the date in 1968.

“This month has averaged 14 degrees below normal,” said Lessor. “It appears that it’s going to continue to stay below normal going forward.”

Lessor said the bitter cold will continue into the first week to 10 days of March before the temperatures start to rise. The month of March will still be cold, averaging about three to four degrees below normal in terms of temperature, Lessor said.

“This weather pattern shows no signs of breaking,” he said. “April will finally become closer to normal, with high temperatures around 60 toward the end of the month.”

But snowfall totals for February have not been record-breaking. Danbury has seen 24.25 inches of snow this month, and 44.15 inches so far this year. Although this month’s snowfall is higher than the average of 11.7 inches, it does not meet the record of 32.8 inches from the winter of 2002-03, according to Lessor.

However, he said,” Don’t put away your snow shovels just yet.”

Fairfield County could see some snow Sunday night into Monday morning, Lessor said. There could be some snow the following weekend as well, and there will be several more chances for snow to fall in the next two weeks.

“There are some indications that next winter will also be colder than normal,” Lessor said. He added that temperatures are not expected to be as cold as this winter, though it is difficult to predict with complete accuracy 10 months out.

“It is not expected to be as snowy," he said. "It should be cold and dry.”

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