ROCHESTER, N.Y. – We are near the all-important holiday weekend, and for some, Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. I like to think Western New York will ease our way into the summer heat, but the temperature over this past week tells a different story. Over almost all of the last seven days, Rochester has measured an above-normal high temperature.

You may have heard that News10NBC is forecasting the warming trend to continue in the next few days.  Enough so, that the News 10NBC First Alert meteorologists are starting to look at the record temperatures for the coming days. Tuesday and Wednesday we are projecting readings in the mid to upper 80s and on both days the record is 92 degrees. If that forecast comes to fruition, the records are safe.

But given the forecast, most folks start thinking about how to stay cool. Most of us will use the air conditioner, but for some of us that is not a good option due to the expense. So what is a good alternative? How about a ceiling fan? Ceiling fans can make a big difference in the comfort of your home and at the same time use less electricity. Using a ceiling fan it is important to make sure the blades are spinning in the direction. In the summer we want the blades to spin in a counterclockwise direction. This will produce a downward motion of the air that can actually produce a wind chill effect. There is a benefit for the winter season as well. If you flip the switch the blades will spin clockwise and that helps to mix the air in the room. But since the air is moving in the opposite direction the air does not create that chilling effect. This air moving in the opposite direction pushes the heat off the ceiling dropping it along the walls so it has the benefit of distributing the heat more evenly in your home.

My recommendation is if you want that cooling effect, turn the speed of the fan on high mode. There’s nothing like a refreshing breeze inside your home during the summer.