weather

I've been contacted by members of the Town of Batavia Fire Department wanting me to remind you that no matter the weather -- sun, rain or even tornado -- the Harley Raffle event at the Fire Hall will go on as planned.

Last year, there was a tornado in Corfu just hours before the event, followed by an absolute torrential downpour during the festivities.

More extreme weather is going to hit the party this year -- and they tell me that won't keep the Town of Batavia Fire Department from partying on.

A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued by the National Weather Service and the storm is expected to hit Batavia.

The watch is in effect until 10 p.m

The Town of Batavia event begins promptly at 7 p.m.

No word, however, on how the weather will effect the Genesee County Fair's hugely popular Demolition Derby, scheduled for 7 p.m.

A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for portions of Genesee County, including Batavia

The watch is in effect until 8 p.m.

UPDATE 6 p.m.: Picture of Main and Bank streets about 10 minutes ago, when a storm cell passed over Batavia. Within minutes, the skies started to clear and the rain stopped. There may be more on the way. There is a report of a traffic light being stuck in red in one direction and green in another at Oak Street and Richmond Avenue as well as at Oak and the Thruway. There was a report of wires down on Walnut, but that turned out to be cable wires and not in the street. So far, it sounds like the parade at the Genesee County Fair is going to go ahead as scheduled.

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A tree is down and completely blocking North and State Street roads in Elba. Elba Fire Police are responding to shut down traffic.

There are minor power outages near Byron. The largest effects 11 customers in the Gillette Road area.

About 19 residents are without power in the area of Hawes Road.

The severe thunderstorm watch has been updated.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR... EAST CENTRAL GENESEE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK, EXTREME NORTH CENTRAL LIVINGSTON COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK, SOUTHWESTERN MONROE COUNTY IN WESTERN NEW YORK.

* UNTIL 6:15 P.M. EDT.

* AT 5:10 P.M. EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM CALEDONIA TO FIVE MILES NORTHWEST OF LE ROY...OR ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 13 MILES SOUTH OF BROCKPORT TO SEVEN MILES EAST OF BATAVIA...AND MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH.

* SOME LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE... LE ROY AND CALEDONIA.

There's a severe thunderstorm watch in effect for Genesee County, but there's also only a 40 percent chance of participation in Batavia.

What looks like, from the radar, a big storm cell just passed to the north of us (possibly dumping rain on the north parts of the county), and there are more cells moving west to east.

The watch is in effect until 8 p.m.

UPDATE 4:51 p.m.: A flood warning as been issued for the norther parts of Genesee County:

AT 432 PM EDT RADAR ESTIMATED GREATER THAN 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN NORTHERN PORTIONS OF GENESEE AND SOUTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF MONROE COUNTY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO RIDE ALONG A LAKE BREEZE BOUNDARY...WITH ADDITIONAL RAINFALL OF UP TO AN INCH POSSIBLE BETWEEN 430 AND 600 PM. THE HEAVIEST RAIN IS EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY SLIDE SOUTH AND WEAKEN THROUGH THIS EVENING.

* EXPECT SOME AREA ROADS TO BE CLOSED DUE TO HIGH WATER. SOME STREAMS AND DRAINAGE DITCHES WILL ALSO RUN HIGH THROUGH THIS EVENING. WHILE RAPID RISES ON STREAMS AND CREEKS ARE NOT EXPECTED...HIGH WATER WILL LIKELY RESULT IN ROAD CLOSURES. THOSE COMMUTING IN NORTHERN GENESEE COUNTY SHOULD BE ALERT FOR HIGH WATER AND ROAD CLOSURES

Richard Stevens, left, runs through a giant rain puddle on Tracy Avenue, with his dog, some neighbor dogs and a neighbor's boy.

The flooded street is now reportedly drained.

Below, a reader submitted the photo showing the flood waters outside Aldi's on East Main Street.

After taking care of my advertising-related tasks today, I decided to drive around the city (and only the city, for the whole "Summer in the City" theme) and get pictures of people dealing with the heat, or enduring the heat (such as guys still forced to work even though between the heat and humidity, the climate was ungodly).

I started at Dewitt Park on Ceder Street where I spotted this boy wading in the water, apparently hunting for crawfish.

Below is Eva Bohn, who took a book to one of the pavilions at Dewitt. She said sunny days are too precious to waste, so she tries not to spend them indoors. She found a shady spot with a little breeze and whiled away the time with a thick book.

Of course, no photo essay about summer in the city would be complete without a visit to the spray park in Austin Park -- there's one picture of it below, and then more after the jump.

Bikes on the dock at Dewitt -- I have no idea where the riders went.

Tackle box, a rod and reel at DeWitt.

Zack (left) and Nick Merlotta were at Dewitt today fishing in a nice shady spot. Zack, who was quite interested in having his picture taken by The Batavian, said his brother caught a pike and a bass yesterday.

Jerry Douglas and Russ Morey, both from Rochester, endured the heat as they installed pipes for electrical lines as part of the UMMC expansion.

Three construction workers at UMMC leaving work. They were very focused on leaving and didn't seem to want to be bothered with me getting their names.

Boys relaxing in a shady tree at Austin Park.

A woman with a bright red headband at Austin Park.

As I took a picture of the woman with the bright red headband, this boy, thinking I was taking pictures of him, started in with boxer poses, so, I took a picture of him, too.

As I drove down Liberty Street, I spotted Paul Berardini eating watermelon on a porch, so I stopped. It turns out he was at his cousin's house, who was hosting a BBQ for some Batavia Muckdogs players (who had the day off). Above are Mike O'Neill and Matt Valaika.

Pauly with Muckdogs centerfielder Nick Longmire.

Mike Storh, of Depew, was among the work crew installing a new sidewalk on Liberty Street this afternoon.

Charles Vaccaro, of Williamsville, takes a break during the sidewalk installation on Liberty Street.

Councilman Bob Bialkowski was on Union Street this afternoon collecting signatures on a nominating petition. He didn't say who for.

It wasn't rain, sleet or snow, but postman Jason Warren was out on Bank Street proving that no matter what the weather, the postal service is getting the mail out.

Geoff Redick only had to report how hot it was, otherwise, he enjoyed the air-conditioned confines of the WBTA studio.

Main St. Pizza Company was packed as early as 4:30 p.m., and the kitchen was sweltering. Owner Vic Marchese said the area of the ovens, friers and woodpit BBQ can get up to 120 degrees on a day like today.

Hot wings on a hot day: One of Vic's cooks flips an order of hot wings on the BBQ grill in his kitchen.

It's going to be hot for the next few days, with highs in the 90s, humidity in the 50s and very little wind.

The National Weather Service is recommending that people avoid strenuous outdoor activity.

Ozone levels could pose a problem for people with respiratory problems (when ozone - naturally occurring in the upper atmosphere --  increases on the surface of the earth, there's less oxygen to breathe).

Temperatures are not expected to drop into the mid 80s until Friday, when a possible thunderstorm will hit the area.

The Weather Channel has issued an extreme heat alert for Genesee County, and the National Weather Service is warning of diminished air quality.

While the reported high temperature is 92 degrees, the heat index is 96. Humidity is 55 percent.

An air quality alert is in effect until 10 p.m.

The AQI (air quality index) exceeds 100 today, according to the weather service.

The higher the AQI the greater the health concern.

From the alert:

WHEN POLLUTION LEVELS ARE ELEVATED... THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RECOMMENDS THAT INDIVIDUALS CONSIDER LIMITING STRENUOUS OUTDOOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS. PEOPLE WHO MAY BE ESPECIALLY SENSITIVE TO THE EFFECTS OF ELEVATED LEVELS OF POLLUTANTS INCLUDE THE VERY YOUNG, AND THOSE WITH PRE-EXISTING RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS SUCH AS ASTHMA OR HEART DISEASE. THOSE WITH SYMPTOMS SHOULD CONSIDER CONSULTING THEIR PERSONAL PHYSICIAN.

The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Genesee County.

The watch is in effect until midnight.

Reader Chad Hilchey sent in this picture at 11:14 p.m. of a funnel cloud spotted in Oakfield. 

A dispatcher who worked overnight had heard nothing of a possible funnel cloud and said there wasn't a single report of storm damage over night. "Not even a tree limb down," he said.

There was a severe thunderstorm watch overnight, which was lifted at 6 a.m.

UPDATE: Chad clarifies that he took the picture around 6:30 p.m.

More than 20 hours after a major wind storm blew through Genesee County, power is still out at 18 locations, the largest effecting 166 National Grid customers in Bethany, according to the utility's website.

The other 17 or so outage spots effect fewer than five customers each, according to the site.

In each case, National Grid estimates that power will be returned to these locations by 11 p.m.

There are two remaining outage spots in the City of Batavia and two in the Village of Le Roy. In all four cases, fewer than five customers are without power.

Bad news for farmers and gardeners, a freeze watch is effect.

Temperatures are expected to drop below freezing.

Currently, it's snowing.

The National Weather Service warns that this freeze could kill crops and sensitive vegetation.

A tree fell into a home on Kibbe Avenue. Witnesses said a limb pierced straight through the roof into the closet of a bedroom. One person was home, but nobody was hurt.

A tree down and blocking Jackson Street near Wood Street.

A man walking down Ellicott Street, trying to keep control of his umbrella in the wind.

More pictures after the jump:

The fence in front of the old Christina's Restaurant location on Ellicott Street was blown down. Genesee Dispatch reached owner Chuck Brumstead, who reportedly said nothing could be done about it until Sunday.

A tree came down on this car on Vine Street.

Firefighters Joseph Schlossel and Robert Fix remove a tree limb from Tracy Avenue.

City crews had a lane of traffic closed throughout most of the morning and into mid-day for unknown repairs at Ellicott and Jackson streets.

The flag outside the Genesee County Economic Development Center on Mill Street whipping in the wind.

Genesee dispatch just informed incident commanders that National Grid is sending in crews from Syracuse to help with power-line issues.

No ETA. Also, a tree fell on a house at 2 Manhattan Ave. and the initial report was people were trapped in the house. An update says everybody is out of the house. There's also apparently an incident, possibly a tree into a house, on Ellsworth Avenue.

UPDATE 5:36 p.m.: Colby Road at Route 33 is being closed.

UPDATE 5:41 p.m.: Trees and wires down on Roanoke Road, East Bethany.

UPDATE 5:42 p.m.: Wires down at Rochester and Clinton streets in Bergen. There's also a report of a tree down, blocking, on Circular Hill Road.

UPDATE 5:53 p.m.: A wire is reported down on Route 98, south of Edgerton Road. Elba Fire is responding. The Circular HIll Road tree has been cleared.

UPDATE 6:19 p.m. Tree down, completely blocking at 52 North Lyon.

UPDATE 6:33 p.m.: Another tree is down on Gilbert Street, Le Roy, taking wires down and completely blocking.

UPDATE 6:36 p.m.: Report of a tree down blocking Old Creek Road near Cookson Road.

The latest forecast for tonight's weather from the National Weather Service uses stronger language than earlier warnings to let residents know the thunder, lightning and wind hitting the area will be severe.

Doppler radar shows a severe thunderstorm, that could produce winds in excess of 60 mph, is heading toward Genesee County. The storm is currently 21 miles west of Grand Island and moving northeast at 65 mph.

"This is a dangerous storm," the Weather Service states. "If you are in the path, prepare immediately for damaging winds, destructive hail and deadly cloud-to-ground lightning. People outside should move to a shelter."

The severe thunderstorm watch remains in effect until 3 a.m.

UPDATE 11:55 p.m.: The NWS declared the warning over at 11:45, saying the storm front had weakened.

Some pretty nasty weather is going to hit the Genesee County region over night, according to a National Weather Service forecast.

Around 2 a.m., thunderstorms are expected, followed by a cold front that will push through with high winds.

With foliage already on trees, the high winds could cause a good deal of damage.

A high-wind warning as been issued.

Sustained speeds of 25 to 40 mph are expected, with gusts up to 60 mph.

The wind warning is effect from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday.

Some of the strongest winds are expected from 4 to 5 a.m.

Murrie Hokenson sent along this picture of a tree that fell in his neighbor's yard on Sunday.  The neighbors are the Szczesnys, and one son was visiting from New Jersey. His car was narrowly missed by the falling limb. The other son, Father Szczesny, normally parks right where the tree fell, but was tied up with Easter duties at the time.

Kristen Anderson catches a Frisbee tossed by her friend Steve Martino (below) while they were out enjoying the sun at Centennial Park this afternoon with their friends Lauren Rohan and Katie Porter (not pictured) and dogs Tucker and Milo.

Above, Ian Fuchs, 7, helps with the family car wash on State Street.

An unidentified bicyclist tooling down Washington Avenue.

Fans of long winters may long remember 2009-2010 as a disappointment.

There was no measurable snow in March, according to Dave Sage of the National Weather Service, and combine that with a late snowfall to start the season, it may be the shortest winter on record for Genesee County.

"It's pretty unusual," Sage told WBTA. "We didn't even have our first measurable snow until Dec. 1. If Feb. 28 is truly the last time we had measurable snow, it will be the shortest period, just a 90-day period, between the first measurable snow and the last measurable snow, and that would be a record."

The last time there was no snow in March was in the 1870s.

Sage, noted, however, that it's at least theoretically possible we'll get more snow before summer. In 1989, the region was hit with 8 inches of snow on one day in May.

The forecast for today -- more drizzle, and rain showers into the night. Then it starts to clear, but temperatures over the next three or four days will range from 22 degrees to 58 degrees. Starting tomorrow, it will be partially cloudy for a few days, clearing to a sunny, but slightly chilly day, on Saturday.

Photo: Taken this morning, a horse on Pearl Road in Oakfield.