Connecticut had hottest summer on record, climate center says
The summer of 2020 was the warmest on record in Connecticut, according to the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University.
It also was among the driest, said Nicole Belk, a National Weather Service hydrologist. For the Hartford area, the summer of 2020 was the driest on record, according to the climate center.
The average temperature of 72.5 degrees, drawn from the thermometer readings from June 1-Aug. 31, is preliminary, Belk said, but “they preliminarily have it as the hottest summer for Connecticut on record.” The averages were gathered over the past 126 years, between 1895 and 2020.
The excessive heat and lack of rain worked together to dry out the soil, which usually retains some moisture, Belk said.
