Cold/Wind Chill, Hartford
- When
- May 7, 12:00 AM EST to 11:59 PM EST
- Where
- Hartford forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 41.819, -72.572 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Cold in Connecticut, May 7, 2001
The low temperature of 28 degrees at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks broke the previous record low for the date, which was 31 degrees set in 1996. It also tied the record for the lowest temperature recorded in the month of May, which was set on three dates - May 4, 1985; May 9, 1956; and May 10, 1947.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS BOX wrote it up.
The low temperature of 28 degrees at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks broke the previous record low for the date, which was 31 degrees set in 1996. It also tied the record for the lowest temperature recorded in the month of May, which was set on three dates - May 4, 1985; May 9, 1956; and May 10, 1947.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Boston/Norton, MA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 6, 11:47 PM EST, 13 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 6, 11:47 PM EST, 13 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION - CORRECTION TO WARNINGS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1247 AM EDT MON MAY 7 2001
HIGH PRES EXTENDS FROM QUEBEC TO NEW ENGLAND WITH GUSTY NE FLOW
FOUND MOSTLY S OF THE MASS PIKE. LINGERING SC FROM MARINE FLOW BUT
MOST OF THIS HAS MIGRATED TO SRN CT. ANOTHER PATCH OF CLDS OVER
THE OCEAN ROTATING JUST OUTSIDE OF OUTER CAPE...THIS IS MOVING SSW
AND SHOULD REMAIN OFFSHORE.
PATTERN TO REMAIN QUIET FOR FIRST HALF OF WEEK AS HIGH PRES SETTLES
OVERHEAD AT SFC AND RIDGE ALOFT BUILDS OVER ERN LAKES MON...SHIFTING
OVER NEW ENGLAND TUES...AND SLIPS TO MARITIMES WED. EXPECT DRY
SUBSIDENT AIR THRU AT LEAST TUE NIGHT. DURING THIS TIME THE LIGHT
FLOW WILL ALLOW DAYTIME SEABREEZES WHICH WILL KEEP COASTAL TEMPS
DOWN...WHILE INLAND TEMPS CLIMB. H800 TEMPS FCST TO REACH 2-3C AT
MID AFTN MONDAY...SUPPORTING L70S AWAY FROM THE SEA BREEZE. TEMPS
ALOFT WARM A COUPLE MORE DEG TUE SUPPORTING M70S. MEANWHILE LIGHT
FLOW UNDER HIGH CENTER WILL MEAN RAD COOLG EACH NIGHT. TEMPS LAST
NIGHT UNDER THE HIGH WERE 25-35 UPSTREAM...AND IN THE 30S FARTHER
UPSTREAM. GIVEN THE PROSPECTS FOR RADIATION AND SLOW AIRMASS
CHANGE AS HIGH PRES REMAINS ANCHORED...THESE LOOK LIKE FINE TARGETS
FOR OUR MINS NEXT TWO NIGHT.
EXTENDED...PATTERN REMAINS SLOW TO CHANGE IN DAY 3-5...WITH LOW PRES
IN THE BAHAMAS AND ANOTHER IN THE GRT LKS...AND USUNS IN BETWEEN.
AVN SHOWS RIDGE BREAKING DOWN DURING THE PERIOD WHICH SHOULD ALLOW
SHOWERS INTO REGION FROM WEST. WL GO WITH CHC SHOWERS...BUT WITH
REDUCED CONFIDENCE IN DETAILS AT THAT RANGE.
FROST...WITH RAD COOLING AND DEWPTS BELWO FREEZING...EXPECT TEMPS
TNGT NW 25-30 AND ARND FRZG N AND W OF BOS. WILL MENTION AREAS OF
FROST IN FCST. QUESTION IS WHETHER TO GO WITH FROST/FREEZE
HEADLINE FOR TNGT. BEST CHANCE FOR THIS IS IN NW WHERE DATE OF AVE
LAST FROST IS STILL AHEAD OF US (EEN - MAY 20...BASED ON STATS
DVLPD ONSTATION). ABSENT INFORMATION TO THE CONTRARY...WE ARE EARLY
ENUF IN SEASON TO HOLD BACK ON ANY ADVISORIES.
MARINE...OBS SHOW WINDS GUSTING TO 25 KTS BUZ WITH ACK 21G32.
BOX VWP SHOWS WINDS ALOFT NE 20. CONTINUE SCA OUTSIDE THE HARBOR
AND THE BAY...DIMINISHING OVERNIGHT. HIGH PRES OVERHEAD RMDR OF PD
SO WL GO WITH SEA BREEZES AND NO HEADLINES.
.BOX...FROST ADVY OVR NGT EXCP ERN CST MA AND ISS.
SCA ALL CSTL WATERS EXCEPT BOS HARB AND NARR BAY.
WTB/DHThe radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
What these are
- Cold/Wind Chill
- Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Heat in California, May 7 to 11, 2001
- Damaging Winds in Ohio, May 7, 2001
- Flash Flooding in U.S. Virgin Islands, May 7 to 8, 2001
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, May 7, 2001
- Damaging Wind in Indiana, May 7, 2001
- High Wind in North Dakota, May 7, 2001
- Damaging Winds in Michigan, May 7, 2001
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, May 7, 2001
- Funnel Clouds in Texas, May 7, 2001
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Michigan, May 7, 2001
- Heat in California, May 7 to 31, 2001
- Hail in Texas, May 7, 2001
More
Every storm in Connecticut in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Connecticut, May 2001
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5243189.