The Coldest Spot in WNY

For years Becky and I have joked that the coldest spot in Western New York was the side alleyway next to our home on Crescent Ave. Maybe it was because of the strong wind that often blows through our backyard coming from Delaware Park and right by our side door. Those same breezes cool us off in the summer and bring us the sounds of sports games in the park and the animals in the zoo.

Sometimes those winds whip past our door as we're leaving the house in winter and stuns us with the cold while blowing the storm door against the side of the house. That is what is was like today. I was out front and also in the back and it was cold but sunny. It didn't feel too bad but when I walked back to the side door it suddenly got much colder and windier. It was intense.

The cold wind there also freezes the melting ice and snow from the roof that drips down in the alley between the houses. We often get gigantic icicles on the roof that drip down into the walkway which gets covered with ice. I use a lot of ice melt along that path and this year I've used much more than normal. It can be dangerous to walk on the ice there sometimes but I work hard to keep it clear.