By Russell Russ

July came in hot. The first three days of the month recorded temperatures in the 90s. Thanks to one other 90 degree day in May, Norfolk, so far in 2026, has recorded four days at or above 90 degrees. The long-term average per year is two to three days. Over the last 10 years this has been trending down to one to two days per year. The early July heat wave ended with a bang during the evening of July 4. In addition to the typical Independence Day fireworks, many towns in Connecticut that evening also had to contend with Mother Nature’s fireworks. A strong thunderstorm that evening passed through Connecticut from Salisbury to Torrington, Harwinton, Bristol and all the way to southern Connecticut. Many towns along the storm’s path received extensive tree and powerline damage from very high winds. Fortunately, the severe portion of this storm just missed Norfolk. After the early month’s heat and severe storm, the rest of the month was fairly average, right up to the last few days when another storm producing excessive rainfall hit Norfolk. The month ended up being way above average for rainfall.

July 2025 ranked as Norfolk’s third warmest July, but it had no record for daily high temperatures. July 2026 was just a little above normal, but it had one record daily high and two near-record daily highs. Two Julys, two different results. The mean monthly temperature this July was 69.3 degrees, one degree above normal. July’s low temperature of 50 degrees was observed on July 20, 24 and 25. July’s high temperature of 94 degrees was observed on July 2. This was a record for that date, surpassing the 92 from 2018. July 1 at 90 and July 3 at 91 just missed record daily highs. The warmest July (and warmest of any month) was in 2020 with 73.1 degrees. The coolest July was in 1962 with 63.9 degrees.

Reaching temperatures of 90 degrees or above in Norfolk is not common, but it does happen about two to three times per year on average. Reaching temperatures of 94 or above is rare. Over the last 95 years, Norfolk has hit 94 degrees just five times. The last time it was 94 or hotter in Norfolk was Aug. 4, 2001, when a high temperature of 98 was observed. Before that, you have to go back to the 1930s to find temperatures of 94 or above at this weather station in Norfolk. There have been only seven days (over the last 95 years) when Norfolk has observed temperatures of 95 or above. Interestingly, six of these seven days were from the summers of 1933 and 1936. One would think the summers of 1933 and 1936, or even those years, would rank high for temperatures, but they do not. It must have been freak record daily highs and not a monthly or yearly trend.

The total precipitation recorded for the month was 7.77 inches, 3.44 inches above average. It was a wet month, but it only ranked as Norfolk’s 11th wettest July. The top 10 wettest range from 8.07 to 15.53 inches. The entire state came in with monthly rainfall totals of two to six inches above normal. This was also the case in neighboring Massachusetts and New York. No drought so far this summer. The largest rainfall totals came from an unusual summer nor’easter storm July 28-

30. Norfolk recorded 3.97 inches during this storm. Areas in the Albany, N.Y. region, just to our northwest, recorded record breaking storm totals of five to nearly 12 inches—just from this one storm. There were three thunderstorms observed at the weather station this month, on July 1, 4 and 18. None were severe locally. The wettest July was in 2023 with 15.53 inches. Norfolk’s driest July was in 1939 with 1.29 inches.

Through July, Norfolk’s yearly precipitation total was 27.21 inches. This is 2.54 inches below normal. There had been a slow growing precipitation deficit all year. It peaked after June at 5.98 inches. July took a decent bite out of the deficit. The drier-than-normal conditions leading up to July may have helped Norfolk handle the above average rainfall that came in July. In Connecticut and neighboring states, rainfall this summer has been mostly above normal, with some locations being much wetter than average. While Norfolk has been about average from May through July, many areas in central and southern Connecticut have seen record rainfall totals this summer.

An early look at August’s weather through August 25 showed that, unlike July, there were no extreme temperatures or rain events. What did continue into August was the continued occurrence of widely ranging rainfall totals from storm systems. Southern and central parts of the state were getting much more rain than the northwest corner. Like it often does, it was starting to get that late summer look and feel after mid-month. The sunlight is a little different, the smell is a little different and a few trees and shrubs are starting to get a little early fall coloring. Autumn is approaching. Weather observations are recorded by the Great Mountain Forest at Norfolk’s National Weather Service Cooperative Weather Observer Station, Norfolk 2SW.