NBC Connecticut Meteorologist Darren Sweeney delivers Connecticut's most accurate forecast every weekend morning on NBC Connecticut. He also enjoys covering breaking weather during the week live in the studio and in the field.
Darren joined the StormTracker team in October 2008 and has the recognition from the American Meteorological Society (AMS) with their seal of approval, as well as the National Weather Association (NWA) along with their seal of approval.
A Connecticut native, born and raised in West Hartford, Darren is happy to be forecasting for the station he grew up driving by and watching almost every day.
Darren's fascination with weather began at a young age through all of New England's wild weather extremes. His family knew he was captivated by storms because when everyone was going inside to take shelter, Darren would grab a video camera and go outdoors!
Darren has experience with forecasting New England weather. As a meteorologist for a Springfield TV station, Darren won two Associated Press awards for coverage of historic flooding in October 2005 and for Best Weathercast in 2006. He also reported live during severe weather events, most recently the massive flooding that took place along the Merrimack River in May 2006. More recently, he was honored with a “Breaking news” award by the Connecticut Society for Professional Journalists for his coverage of the 2009 EF-1 Wethersfield tornado.
Before returning to New England, Darren gained experience forecasting severe weather and chasing hurricanes for WFTX-TV in Fort Myers, Fla., where in a couple of instances, he was deployed to New Orleans to help sister stations cover Tropical Storm “Isidore” and Hurricane “Lilly” in 2002.
During his tenure at NBC CONNECTICUT, Darren has covered some of the biggest storms of his career. He was a part of the team that forecasted during Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene as well as many tornado touchdowns.
Darren earned his Bachelor's degree from Central Connecticut State University and went on to earn his Master's degree at Syracuse University's highly regarded Newhouse School of Communication. In 2003, he graduated from Mississippi State University's Broadcast Meteorology program.
During his spare time, you'll find Darren on one of his famous road trips exploring beautiful New England (especially during the summer). Darren is also proud to be a tenured Associate Professor at his alma mater at CCSU teaching in the Department of Journalism. He enjoys mentoring students who are looking to get into the exciting field of journalism and broadcast journalism. He serves on the board of the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists. Darren volunteers his time at many events raising money and awareness for different types of cancer research. You will also often find Darren involved with helping homeless animals finding good homes. His motto is “Adopt Don’t Shop.”
The Latest
-
Cool temperatures to end the weekend, warming trend expected this week
Cooler, more seasonable temperatures have settled in to the state, but they won’t stick around too long. After a cold and frosty start with lows in the 20s and 30s, expect a sunny day with light winds and highs in the 50s. Another cold night is expected tonight with lows once again in the 20s and 30s. Tomorrow, we...
-
Dry and seasonable weather continues into new workweek
Temperatures are returning to average levels over the next couple of days. The average high temperatures are now in the upper 50s. That’s exactly where are temperatures will end up through Monday along with plenty of sunshine. By Tuesday, an area of high pressure will move offshore and allow for milder temperatures to move in to the state. By...
-
Near record warmth possible Monday
The warmer than average weather from this weekend is continuing well into the new workweek. The average high temperature for this time of the year is 62 degrees. Monday’s high temperatures away from the shoreline are expected to reach or exceed 80 degrees. If we reach 82 degrees at Windsor Locks, that would tie the record of 82 set back…
-
Warming temperatures and sunshine continue through the rest of the weekend
The dry stretch of weather we’ve experienced for much of October is continuing and temperatures are warming through the rest of the weekend. In fact, temperatures are expected to climb 10 to 15 degrees above average. The average high temperature for the weekend is 62 degrees. High temperatures on Sunday will be even warmer as temperatures away from the shoreline…
-
A sunny and breezy start to the holiday weekend
Lots of sunshine and a gusty northwesterly breeze can be expected today. High temperatures will range from the 60s to the lower 70s. Overall, a great day to check out any of the local fall fairs and festivals. Some wind gusts today will likely end up between 15-25 mph. By Sunday, an approaching area of low pressure will bring an…
-
Quiet and dry weather continues for first day of October
While we have seen our fair share of clouds over the last several days, the drier than average September weather we experienced will roll into the new month of October. High pressure remains in control of weather for today and the next several days. The average high temperature for the start of October is around 70 degrees. Temperatures will begin…
-
Clouds and a scattered shower for the final weekend of September
There is a battleground over Southern New England between high pressure to the north and the remnants of Helene to the south. Clouds can be expected over the weekend, but high pressure with dry air will keep the bulk of the shower activity to the south. Widespread showers are not expected, but a scattered shower at any point over the…
-
Warm and dry weather continues, changes expected by midweek
The warm and dry weather pattern that has been in place for most of September continues into the new workweek. The average high temperature at Windsor Locks is 76 degrees and we’ll be well above the average both today and tomorrow. High pressure will bring lots of sunshine through the day today. Some wildfire smoke will blend with the sunshine…
-
Sunshine and warm temps to end the weekend, start the week
The warm and dry stretch of weather continues through Sunday. Yesterday’s high temperature at Windsor Locks made it up to an impressive 88 degrees. A wind shift to the northeast Sunday means that temperatures will not be quite as warm as yesterday, but still well above the average of 76 degrees. The warmth is expected to continue through Monday with…
-
Warmer than normal temperatures continue into the weekend
High temperatures away from the shoreline have been running well above average and that warmth continues into the weekend. Friday’s high temperatures were nearly eight degrees above the average of 77 degrees in the Hartford area. Today will be no exception to the warmth. In fact, it might be a degree or two warmer than Friday. While Sunday will not…
