LeRoy Pennysaver & News

LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - DECEMBER 12, 2021 by Lynne Belluscio Sometimes the weather report is longer than the news on television. And of course, I have two weather apps on my cell phone and I particularly like the ones that have the changing radar map. And this year I have watched as the “green cloud” opens and makes a little hole around the Exit 47 interchange. I think we expect so much more from our weather reporters today. I remember watching a weatherman on television, who had a magnetic weatherboard and he could move the cold fronts and warm fronts around and then he would write with an erasable pen, the temperatures and snow fall. Pretty simple and I don’t think any of them were meteorologists. In 1888, LeRoy was on the cutting edge of weather forecasting. The introduction of the telegraph made it possible to send messages ahead of the weather. On September 2, 1888, the Gazette wrote that the authorities in Washington had designated LeRoy as a signal station and that James Annin had agreed to hoist the weather flags at the top of the Lampson Block. The weather report was to be sent directly from the Erie Station on Lake Street and Mr. Milliman, the telegraph operator, had agreed to fill out all the reports that were required by Washington. Mr. Annin was allowed 5 minutes to hoist the flags, but a week later, it was reported that the flags would be hoisted from the Ross Block across the street on the south side which would be a better vantage point. The flags would be hoisted by the staff of the Gazette. (The Ross Block is still standing on the south side of Main Street and is owned by Ray Yacuzzo. The Lampson Black was long ago razed after a fire.) The weather flag was a prediction of the weather from 7 am until 7 am the following morning. A white flag indicated clear or fair weather. A blue flag meant rain or snow. A black triangular flag and the white square flag with the black center were never flown together. If the black triangular flag was flown above both the white flag and the blue flag, it indicated warm fair weather, followed by rain or snow. The temperature flag indicated changes from one morning to the next, not a drop in temperature overnight. The difference in temperature had to exceed 5 degrees in either direction for the black triangular flag to be flown. There was a disclaimer: “Mr. J.G. Ross has kindly allowed this arrangement and the Gazette has undertaken to hoist the signals promptly upon the receipt by telegraph of the indications. With that, however, our responsibility will end as we cannot be held responsible for the verifications of the indications, nor can we agree to procure a change of weather by changing the flags.” (I think this was an attempt at humor.) The newspaper doesn’t mention where the weather reports were coming from, but if they were to predict 24 hours of weather, the message to LeRoy might have come from Cleveland or somewhere near Chicago. My mother always said we were three days from Chicago weather. I wonder if these flags were like the weather stone I have. “If the stone is wet - -it’s raining. If it’s dry - - its fair. If it’s covered in snow - -“ Well you get the picture. I think the farmers out in the country didn’t drive into town to check the weather. They used the old weather signs they had always used. Watching for cirrus clouds for snow. An easterly wind, usually meant three days of bad weather, ending with a storm wind from the north west. I watch the birds at the bird feeder. If they swarm the feeder, there is usually a storm coming. If the wind blows so you can see the underside of the leaves, get ready for bad weather. Cows lying down in a field usually meant a storm was coming. Even some of my dogs would act strange with a storm on the way, and I won’t even begin to talk about my knee. Then there are these weather saying: “Rain before seven stops before 11.” “Closed in the morning, it will be pouring.” – This refers to flowers, such as tulips and dandelions “Red sky in the morning sailors take warning. Red sky at night. Sailors delight.” “Clear moon, frost soon.” “Open pine, weathers fine.” Referring to pine cones that open and close with the weather. “Chimney smoke descends - wet weather is coming.” “Ring around the moon - storm is coming.” To know the temperature, count the chirps of a cricket in 14 seconds and then add 40 for the temperature. If you see lightning, and then hear thunder, it is believed that for every second between seeing the lighting and hearing the thunder, you are a mile from the lighting. For example, you see lighting and five seconds later you hear the thunder, you are five miles from the lighting. If it is simultaneous, then better look for a direct hit nearby. “The more orange on a wooly bear caterpillar, the more mild the winter . The more black, the more cold.” Thick onion skins indicate a cold winter. Thunder during a snowstorm - six months till first frost.” First fog of the year predicts when the first snow will fly. Snow will appear 90 days after the fog. As they say around here, if you don’t like the weather, wait fifteen minutes and it will change. Hope you all have your copy of the Farmer’s Almanac. I haven’t read mine yet. Weather Reporting in LeRoy