First Alert Weather In-Depth: Francine is the latest hurricane on our list

ROCHESTER, N.Y. —Our weather across Western New York has been rather dramatic over this past week. The combination of flooding rain and even an isolated tornado. But as our weather begins to settle down locally, we cannot forget about the hurricane season.

A good indicator of the level of activity is to simply check the list of names for the 2024 tropical season. Remember, a storm is give a name if winds reach 39 miles per hour and then becomes a hurricane if it reaches the criteria of 74 miles per hour. Right now, we are at the name “Francine” and this storm is having an impact along the Louisiana coast and eventually the lower Mississippi Valley.

There are many ways to judge the intensity of a tropical system, but the “gold standard” continues to be the Hurricane Hunters airplanes that fly into the storm producing the most accurate gauge of intensity. The missions crisscross through the center of the storm measuring a combination of atmospheric factors including wind speed and atmospheric pressure.

As the storm intensifies and makes landfall there will be flooding, tree damage and power outages for the folks in the deep south. The question is will the remnants of Francine eventually reach Rochester? Well, judging by the latest weather models it is doubtful. So, First Alert Meteorologist Glenn Johnson is happy to say our calm weather is likely to continue!