Winter comes with several certainties in Western New York: snow, cold, and of course, the installation of the ice boom along the entrance to the Niagara River.
The boom has been in use for over 50 years as a means to prevent ice from Lake Erie from overwhelming the Niagara River. This helps lower the risk of ice jam flooding and keeps water flowing through the hydro power station all winter long.
Despite the benefits, there are still questions as to whether the boom may be causing some side effects when it comes to our winter climate. More specifically, there’s speculation that the boom prolongs the winter season.
Scientists have been gathering data for over 40 years on this very topic, and their answers are pretty conclusive. Meteorologist Heather Waldman shows you their finding and explains more about how the boom works in this week’s Heather’s Weather Whys.
New episodes of Heather's Weather Whys are posted online every Wednesday evening. Want to see them before they hit the Channel 2 airwaves on Thursday? Subscribe to the WGRZ YouTube Channel and get a notification as soon as the episode is ready!
