12 Inches Of Rain For Portions Of New York State

The kids are back in school here in New York State and although we may want it to feel like fall, it feels more like summer. The summer of 2023 was a record setter in many ways and in many states and here in New York State, the record was rain!

As we saw the high temps set daily records in much of the United States, Rochester, New York was seeing rain. Lots and lots of rain.

Was it good for the garden and farms? In most cases, yes. The issue this summer was the intensity at times that washed out some of the crops on some farms. The National Weather Service mentioned a record amount of rain.

The 12.25" of precipitation at the #Rochester airport was the greatest recorded in the July-August 2-month timeframe. Old record was 12.12" set back in 1947.

TOO HOT FOR SCHOOL?

The unofficial end of summer is the Labor Day weekend and now that that has come and gone, the reality is that the weather is not feeling like fall. In fact, the weather these days feels like mid summer.

But what are the rules when it comes to keeping kids at school or inside classrooms that are brutally hot? Here in New York State, there seems to be no set limit on the high temperatures. However, there are some guidelines about how cold it can be.

While New York schools are required, by law, to maintain a minimum temperature of 65 degrees, there is no such limit on the other end of the thermometer scale.

There was a bill that was introduced in New York State that did aim to set a standard for the maximum heat inside of school. However, it didn't seem to get any strength.

Establishes a maximum temperature in school buildings and indoor facilities; provides a definition of extreme heat condition days and the standard to measure room temperature.

The issue of heat inside classrooms not only is about comfort, it is also about the ability to teach and learn. The NYSUT website has information that indicates hot classrooms hurt learning,

Further studies indicate that lower classroom temperatures and improved air ventilation improve learning ability and student performance by as much as 10 to 20 percent.

Overheated schools also waste energy and cost school districts money.

The good news is that this is New York State and the weather can change hour to hour. The cooler September air is coming and things will be more comfortable soon.