Physical Geography

Connecticut occupies the southernmost section of the New England Upland, which is part of the Appalachian system of North America. The upland is relatively low within Connecticut and divides into an eastern and a western section separated by a fairly broad lowland. In general, the land slopes downward from north to south. All of Connecticut was glaciated during the last Ice Age, and many of the surface features are largely or partly the result of glacial scouring and deposition.

The Uplands consist mainly of rolling hills, rounded low mountains, and long ridges separated by narrow valleys. The western upland is the higher of the two sections, though it rarely reaches elevations of more than 1,500 feet (460 m). The highest point in the state is 2,380–foot (725–m) Mount Frissell, an outlying peak of the Taconic Mountains, in the northwestern corner of the state. Along the coast, in an area sometimes called the Seaboard Lowland, the terrain becomes smoother and slopes gently toward the sea. Compared to the rest of the state, most of upland Connecticut is sparsely populated; much of it is wooded and scenic.

The Connecticut Lowland is a relatively flat area, up to 20 miles (32 km) wide, that separates the two upland sections. It extends from Massachusetts through Hartford to New Haven on Long Island Sound. In places, the flatness of the land is broken by prominent ridges and bold outcrops of trap, an ancient volcanic rock. The lowland has long been the most heavily populated area of the state and the most important in agricultural and industrial production.

Forests, occurring mainly in the uplands, cover about two-thirds of Connecticut. They consist largely of deciduous trees, primarily red oak and other oaks. Other hardwoods include sugar maple, birch, poplar, beech, ash, and hickory. Among the coniferous trees found throughout the state are hemlock, pine, and cedar.

The forests are valuable to Connecticut, not so much for the wood they yield as for the erosion control and recreational use they provide. They are also scenic attractions, particularly during autumn. A sizable portion of the forested area is preserved in state forests and state parks.

Virtually all of Connecticut is drained by rivers that flow to Long Island Sound. Most of them pass through valleys aligned roughly north-south and enter the sea in tidal river mouths and estuaries.

The Connecticut River, which drains much of western New England, is the chief river in the state. It flows through the Connecticut Lowland as far as Middletown and then veers southeastward through a section of the eastern upland to enter the sound. The Connecticut is wide and deep but is little used for navigation, mainly because shifting sand bars obstruct its mouth.

Most of eastern Connecticut is drained by the Thames River and such tributaries and headstreams as the Quinebaug, Shetucket, Natchaug, and Willimantic. The principal rivers of western Connecticut are the Housatonic, the Naugatuck, and the Farmington, a tributary of the Connecticut.

Well over 1,000 lakes and ponds, most of glacial origin, dot the state The largest is Lake Candlewood, the center of a resort area. It is a man-made lake whose waters are used for generating hydroelectric power.

Connecticut has a highly variable climate with distinct seasons and ample precipitation during the year. Air masses and storms from the North American interior largely determine the day-to-day weather. The ocean's influence is mainly limited to areas near the coast.

Temperatures tend to be somewhat lower in the uplands, especially in the far north-west, than in the lowlands; on the whole, however, they differ little throughout most of the state. Average January temperatures range from about 24° F. (-4° C.) in the northwest to 29° F. (-2° C.) along the coast. During July, the warmest month, temperatures average from 70° F. (21° C.) to 73° F. (23° C.); the warmest area is on the coast.

Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year and averages about 44 to 48 inches (1,120 to 1,220 mm). A few areas receive slightly more, some slightly less. Snowfall usually varies considerably in depth from year to year. Floods occasionally occur, particularly when the melting of a deep snow cover coincides with heavy rains during spring.

Among the storms that strike the state are northeasters, which bring strong winds and heavy snow or rain; ice storms; and thunderstorms. Tornadoes and hurricanes are rare.