First Alert Weather In-Depth: More fun in the sun!

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – When the sun is bright in Rochester, the sunglasses are all important. And over last two weeks we were using the “shades” quite often. Recorded data at the Rochester Airport indicates that the majority of the time the atmosphere was clear. However, that sky really changed over the last 48 hours and the latest camera time lapse brings stratocumulus clouds over the Flower City.  Those clouds even produced sprinkles of rain with even a few wet flurries through the Southern Tier New York State – especially at the higher elevations.

How do you look at or observe these clouds? Naturally, one way is from the ground level gazing up at the sky. The other way is with satellite images. These satellites are located 23,000 miles in space and give us an even a better view of the extent of the cloud cover.

You may have learned in science class the different the names of clouds and we have a wide assortment cloud types. Obviously, this can range from nimbostratus all the way to cirrus clouds, but the simpler way to classify is the height of the clouds. They range from low clouds, mid-level clouds, all the way up to high clouds and that will be a big determining factor on how much sunshine you will likely to see.  For example, the high cirrus clouds will make for a very picturesque sky and this is probably a preference for most folks in Western New York.

Looking ahead the cloud forecast over the next 24 hours is a good one. The News 10NBC Frist Alert meteorologists see a very slow improvement. So maybe it is time to dig out the sunglasses once again!