Almost every year in January in the Finger Lakes, Old Man Winter takes a break and allows some warming temperatures to return which melt some of the snow base and ice that have formed on the ground and on the waters of the Finger Lakes. But this year seems to be an exception as Old Man Winter hasn’t even bothered to show himself this January. Our days in January have been marked by unusually warm temperatures along with rain and drizzle. The ground is barely frozen – only a few inches on the top – and each day of rain quickly runs off into the Lake. The outlet of Canandaigua Lake filled with water- just like it would be in March when the snow pack is starting to melt.
I took advantage on one of those days last week when the temperatures soared into the fifties and the sun finally appeared long enough to chase away all of the grey clouds. I followed the outlet of Canandaigua Lake to Shortsville, NY where one can see the remains of an old mill at a place once known to the early settlers as Littleville, NY. The water was gushing over the dam and racing downstream through a series of rapids as it flowed towards the village of Shortsville. I hope that you will enjoy this video:
