STILL A CHANCE FOR FROST SOUTH
Written By: Scott Hetsko
The risk for frost is less and less with each day. The map shows the average final day frost is observed in Spring. The city of Rochester has probably already had it's last hard frost of the season. As you travel South and away from the warming land breezes of Lake Ontario, frost is seen for a few more weeks.
Tonight we expect patchy frost to form in the Finger Lakes region. Typically they get their final hard frost sometime around May 20th. Sheltered valleys are the expection, here frost can form as late as Memorial Day weekend! Let's hope next weeks warmer air is a sign that we've turned the corner weatherwise!
Hi Scott,
ReplyDeleteHow is Saturday looking? Depending on which place I check, I've seen anything from a 30 percent chance of rain with mostly cloudy skies, to gorgeous and mostly Sunny. Is there better agreement today on just how Saturday will pan out? I'd like to give some golf a shot!
Saturday will probably start with clouds and end with sunshine. Chance of showers is very small. I'd say you're good to go for golf. My tee time is 8:30!
ReplyDeleteScott
Sounds good. Thanks Scott!
ReplyDeletebeautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOne thing lacking from the broadcasts are winds/directions. lots of us boaters/fishermen try to plan trips on the big lake depending on the winds/wave heights..........
ReplyDeleteAnonymous - Unfortunately, broadcast meteorologists have very limited time to cover the forecast in their segments. Not enough time to focus on boating forecasts as much as they might like. Do you have a NOAA Weather Radio? You should if you're a boater. Program in 162.400 MHZ. They will provide you with boating forecasts. Also, if you go to the National Weather Service website, and click your mouse on the lake, it will give you waves/wind speeds/wind directions, etc. Here's the link to that:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wbuf.noaa.gov/
How long would it take to say which direction the wind is expected to be from when they do the 3 day forecast? an extra 5 seconds? I have a NOAA channel on my marine band radio - in my boat. Doesn't help 2-3 days before. I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like this info...
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't take long at all but it would ruin the broadcast flow of the 7 day in my view. We do forecast winds for the 24-36 hour period.
ReplyDeleteScott
Winds are important for birders too - especially during spring migration. Could you maybe add them to the 7-day graphic? Wouldn't have to discuss/mention the winds on the long range, we can read. :-)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of birders. What's the best type of bird seed to get to attract the largest variety of birds? A friend of mine has Rose Breasted Grosbeaks, Gold Finches, Tufted Titmouse, Cardinals and Blue Jays at their feeder at almost any moment during the day. Yet, my bird seed seems to only attract Juncos and sparrows....and I live in the country next to a large area of woods, so there should be lots of variety of birds.
ReplyDeleteDon't be afraid of change, it seems like others would like the wind info also. I guess I'll buy a cheap Noaa weather radio and use the website you recommended, then I'll have no reason to view the lowest rated newscast in the rochester area!..........
ReplyDeleteOne thing to keep in mind, though, is that there isn't always a direct connection between wind speeds and directions over land and or water, and how choppy the waves will be on lake Ontario. So, basing your boating decisions on wind speeds/directions could be somewhat misleading. That is why it's important to get a more specific source for specific wave heights and wind speeds out over the open waters of lake Ontario. Trust me, conditions on the lake shore can be VERY different from conditions just 2 miles inland, so just imagine how much different it might be a mile or so offshore. But, i'm sure you already knwo that.
ReplyDeleteAlso, consider the fact that as a broadcast meteorology team, the goal is to keep it simple. The majority of viewers don't know a whole lot about weather. If Scott Hetsko, Kevin Williams or Glenn Johnson were to break down the seperate conditions over the lake each day, for 3 or more days out, not only would it take time away, but it could also confuse or frustrate the viewers with too much information. Think about how the 7-day would look in each box if you had the high, the low, the high on the lake and the low on the lake, then the winds speeds on land, and the wind speeds over the water, then the wave heights on the water. Yikes, when all most people wanted to know is if it would rain or be warm tomorrow!
Honestly, you'd be surprised how easily the average person can misunderstand or mix up what TV meteorologists are saying. You tell them it's going to be very windy on the lakeshore, and someone out in Victor or Avon will see it and tell everybody...."forget about having the picnic tomorrow, it's gonna be super windy, Hetsko said so..." And then when it turns out to be perfectly calm in Victor or Avon, they get all mad and say that the weathermen don't know what they're talking about. So, they have to try to keep it simple.
And one final point, since you decided to take a shot at the channel 8 / fox team....I don't see any other networks breaking down the boating forecast for several days out as you would like either. And i'm SURE that they have also gotten emails from people like you complaining about there being no boating forecast breakdown. Again...there are reasons they ALL choose to not complicate it so much.
I'm not trying to be a jerk. I sympathize. But I also understand the position that TV mets are in.
I'm not trying to be a jerk either, but you just don't get it.Someone in victor or avon doesn't care about wave heights, but boaters do (and birders, evidently) I remember when Bill Peterson (also a boater) used to do it, and IF it's what the people want, at least a guesstimate DURING THE SEASON shouldn't be too much to ask.
ReplyDeleteIn answer to the bird seed question - a nice mix of sunflower, cracked corn and white millet appeals to many species. If you want to specifically target grosbeaks, cardinals, titmice and such, black oil sunflower is the way to go.
ReplyDeleteAwesome. Thank you. The sunflower seeds are definitely scarce in my mix, so that might make a big difference. I've seen some bags of just plain sunflower seeds, so i'll buy one of those and then mix it with the regular mix to provide a higher ratio of the sunflower. Thanks again!
ReplyDelete