First Alert Weather in Detail: A Scientific Observation from Lake Ontario

ROCHESTER, NY — Meteorologist Glenn Johnson has previously discussed some of the many tools a meteorologist has at his disposal to decipher the weather.

Land-based weather observation stations exist in numerous locations in western New York State. However, it’s a little harder to get data above (and below) Lake Ontario. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a buoy system that helps fill that gap in data. Glenn likes to see this as part of your tax dollars at work.

The buoy is an amazing piece of technology that collects data from remote locations. It only works during the warmer months as we face harsh conditions in the winter. It is a solar-powered technology that sends a tremendous amount of data to anyone who knows where to look. Most of the buoys are located along the east coast, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

Our focus, however, is the Great Lakes. The buoy closest to us is located about 20 nautical miles north to northeast of the Rochester coast. It sends back data on barometric pressure, dew point, wind and air temperature. In addition, it continuously measures water temperature, wave height and wave period (duration between waves).

For mariners, this can be valuable information that is available to you 24 hours a day. Just click on this link. This data also includes the latest camera photos of the great lake directly from the buoy!