Well ladies and gentleman. As time has progressed, we have also. We're starting a whole new blog platform, that will be much easier to use, easier to read, and will look a whole lot nicer! Please visit blogs.wtnh.com to check out our new blogs, and don't forget to comment and ask us ANY questions you've got!
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I hope everyone is surviving this dreary Friday and looking forward to some great events this weekend! The sun will mix in with some leftover showers tomorrow, and once you're all dried off, it'll be time to head to the Housatonic River for Stratford's Riverlights Parade!

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Now that the kids are back to school and people are back from their summer vacations, community events are at the forefront of everyone's mind again. I've been getting plenty of emails from active members of the community (just like you!) who are excited about upcoming events and want to share these events with me. And now, I want to share them with you!
1. Light the Night- You've probably heard of this event, but do you know what it is? "It" is actually several events throughout the state, all of which benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. At a Light the Night event, you will join hundreds, even thousands of other walkers, each carrying balloons to support cancer patients, to honor a loved one who has survived cancer, or in memory of those we have lost. The first local walk is this Saturday, September 24th in Newtown. In October, LTN Walks will be held in New Haven, New London, South Windsor, and Norwalk. You can learn more here.
2. Kitty Palooza!- Now is a great time to bring a new furry friend into your home. With the cold weather months approaching, who wouldn't want a snuggly kitten on their lap to keep them warm? Kitten Associates is a nonprofit shelter in Newtown. They have adorable kittens and well-behaved cats up for adoption, and you can meet them all this Saturday from 1-5pm! You can also pick up some cool toys and treats for your cat at Kitty Palooza, and a commemorative poster. You can learn more here!
3. Lebanon Fire Department- Did you know that the vast majority of fire departments throughout the country are comprised of volunteers? All our volunteer firefighters are much appreciated, but more volunteers are always needed! If you've thought about becoming a volunteer fire fighter, but you're not sure if you fit the bill- the town of Lebanon would love to help! You can stop by their Open House this Saturday to learn more about how they operate and what is expected of their volunteers. Even if you don't intend to volunteer, you can stop by, meet the staff, and learn a little bit about fire safety! The Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department is located at 23 Goshen Hill Road. Their website is linked here.

Earlier I mentioned that school is back in session... and I've already visited my first school of the season in the Mobile Weather Lab! I talked with the kids at Andrew Avenue School in Naugatuck this morning about weather technology and how to stay safe if a storm is heading their way. I'm looking forward to many more visits throughout the school year!

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I awoke this morning, and I had to make sure there wasn't fire and brimstone hailing down from the sky. I've been following sports my entire life, and I have never seen what I have seen this week. Red Sox fans openly rooting for the New York Yankees.

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This is my first week handling my new duties as our Community Affairs Liaison here at News 8! There are so many great events to attend and talk about, and the people in this state are very benevolent, so the level of involvement is very high. For instance, some of my News 8 colleagues and I ran in the New Haven Road Race on Labor Day, which drew a record number of runners- more than 6,000! And, I saw hundreds of cyclists, including News 8 sportscaster John Pierson, at the inagural Closer To Free Bike Ride on Saturday. I'm sure that both events will continue to get bigger and better!
I want to make sure that you know what's going on in your area... perhaps there's a fundraiser in a neighboring town, or a nonprofit that could use a helping hand. Check out my posts for information about upcoming events. Let's get started!
1. New Haven Home Recovery- Families in the New Haven area who are homeless or in danger of losing their home can turn to NHHR for help and hope. There are many ways to get involved with NHHR, such as making a donation for the Furniture Co-Op, or volunteering in the office, or even hosting a drive at your school or business. A couple upcoming events include Rock The House on Sunday, September 18th at Terminal 110, and NHHR's 5th annual Wine Tasting on Wednesday, October 19th at Kelly's Bar and Restaurant. You can learn more about all of NHHR's events and happenings at their website.
2. Beads For Life- This is a local event that focuses on the needs of people who are half a world away. Women in Uganda, Africa create beads out of paper that can be used in all kinds of jewelry. The end result is a unique and really cool piece that you can wear for years... a picture of my bracelet is posted here! For the whole month of September, Beads & More in Woodbury is donating profits from their Beads For Life sales to the organization. For more details, you can visit the store's website.
If you have an event you'd like me to feature, send it to our Community Page!

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September is a wacky month, and this week will certainly show us that! The days of 80s are numbered and the days of 60s are right around the corner...closer than you'd think actually! It's a funny and expensive transition with air conditioners running during the day, and the heat on at night. So we've got good news and bad news this week.

The good news is that a cold front is moving through on Thursday, and that's helping to ensure that Tropical Storm Maria stays well out to sea. With that being said, we will have some showers and storms associated with this front.

Now, speaking of the forecast...here are some of the changes to come:
Tuesday's forecast:
80 and mostly sunny
Friday's forecast:
60 and mostly sunny

As the week progresses, high pressure makes its way down from Canada and sets up shop over the Great Lakes. This will set us up for some cool days, and even cooler nights. If things pan out how the forecast models look, we could be seeing some very cool overnight lows, and scattered first frosts of the season!

So what causes this?
In the northern hemisphere, high pressure rotates outward and clockwise. In this situation, cold air from Canada is pushed down towards us, allowing for unseasonably cool temperatures. During the day, some spots will struggle to get into the 60s, and at night, we're forecasting low temperatures to drop below 40 for a few spots across the region.

It's a losing battle for us warm weather lovers it seems...we'll be trading in the shorts for snow blowers soon enough!

I love getting the mail. Usually there is nothing terribly exciting in the mailbox at the end of the driveway (bills and credit card applications.) But for some reason, it’s like having a little surprise left for you every day. Dumb, I know.

My mailman is a woman. She is sweet. Waves at everyone. My post office branch is a musty, historic place, with the old fashioned post office boxes with the painted on numbers that have been there for generations.

But it looks like that could all be coming to an end.

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Well August passed us, and September rolled around. Kids went back to school, and the year resumed as it normally does. Vacations are over, but did summer leave as fast as the busses pulled away for the first day of school?

It seems like summer is shorter and shorter every year, but what happened the past few days? Kids walked out of their houses for the first day of school with it feeling more like November than the beginning of September! It seems like someone shut off the sun and left the shower running! Is this it? Should we pack away all of the lawn furniture and break out the snowblowers? Well, let's take a step back and put September into perspective.

Meteorologists are big with averages. What people perceive as "normal" for this time of the year is merely an average of what has happened since records started being widely kept in the late 19th century. With that being said, I love looking at the almanac...I am an almanac geek! Nothing is cooler to me than being able to look into the past and know that the average high temperature in January is 37 degrees for Bridgeport. Perhaps that makes me a weather geek, but I think it's a requirement to be a meteorologist!

So now that we're talking averages, across the state, we averaged around 63 degrees statewide yesterday for a high temperature. The average high is around 75 for September 7th, with the average low being 56 degrees. With that being said, yesterday was cooler than normal, and today will continue to be cooler than average. So are we done with summer weather?

I'm happy to inform you that warm weather is not over! In fact, the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center is predicting a warmer than normal fall this year. Normal temperature fluctuations like this happen every year, and when summer transitions into fall, it's often that we get days with highs in the 50s followed by highs in the 80s.

Has the weather been cooler than average? Yes it has, but it is certainly "normal". Rest assured snow lovers, winter is right around the corner...and for you warm weather lovers, fear not, there are still a few beach days left this season!