Goodnow Flow weather

Goodnow Flow weather data for Dec 31 2019

You can check current weather at my WeatherUnderground page, this is linked to a Davis Vantage-Vue weather package on my Lot.  That page also gets still image updates from two cameras, The data stream needs power and internet to be maintained, the overnight data in the screenshot of the weather page is missing because an ice storm knocked out power for 16 hours. The weather page also gets image updates from two cameras, more video clips are accessible on Facebook. The weather station page has a link to a forecast for Newcomb. This seems to have a better short term prediction of temperature than Accuweather, maybe because it is incorporating data from local weather stations.

Fluorescent stakes seen from my webcams give an idea of snow depth at the Goodnow Flow. Watch a time-lapse video from the 2020-21 season

I arrange a stack of gravel bags and a bunch of fluorescent-tagged driveway stakes to make snow gauges that anyone can check from the rotating camera feeds on the weather page. This isn’t perfect but you can see how the snow base is doing. This season (2019-20) there are also updates on snow depth on the Goodnow Community Facebook page.

Climate data for Newcomb NY and the Flow

Newcomb NY climate information
Newcomb climate data, see USclimateData.com

There is a climate page giving an overview of conditions through the year. Mind those averages are a bit deceptive. You can expect a few runs of 80+F days in July or August, and any attic bunk space under a metal roof can get over 90F if there is direct sun (I ran a check for mine when I installed an attic fan). Some winter lows are below zero F. January  2019 had 12 days with a low under zero, hitting -20 F on 3 nights).

Goodnow Flow seasons

The basic camp summer season runs from Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day weekend.  For May and September, you may want to pick your weekends. For April and October, you have to look out for a decent window.

Folks monitor ice out from the lake,  generally its fairly late in April, you can see a table for recent years. There is usually a ‘sweepstakes’ to guess the ice out date: the winner gets bragging rights

Seasonal changes to Goodnow Flow water levels

April 21, 2019, an end of winter event pushed the lake water level to about a foot over summer normal for a day or so.

The private lake is artificial and maintained by a recently rehabilitated dam and spillway. The lake level is stepwise lowered by three or so feet at and beyond Columbus Day weekend and brought back up in May – with fish stocking typically the weekend before Memorial Day weekend.  Dropping the lake level reduces the risk of flooding in storm events, though it can still get above normal levels for a couple of days each year.

Levels of the private goodnow flow lake are maintained by gates in the dam spillway
Gates at the dam normally manage the lake levels (Left -winter settings, right summer). The ‘bathtub rings’ on diving rock and the leg of my mini-dock illustrate the change in progress. Click on the image for video of the spillway

You are going to notice the drop in the lake level but the effect varies – my neighbor gets a bigger expanse of mud than I do and the west end of the Flow is generally probably shallower than the east end (old river bed excluded).

David Dorey measured about a foot of ice on the lake on December 31 2019 (from Facebook).

I wouldn’t put dates on when the ice is strong enough for skating and snowmobiles. This year there were measurements around a foot on December 31, 2019, but freeze-thaw cycles were making the ice crack some days during December.   Ice fishing is verboten under club rules, I think that is because the Flow is classified as a Trout lake.