Beach days may be more frequent this summer.
Not only are the temperatures up, but, according to Erie County Public Health Engineer Dolores Funke, weather conditions are a big factor in whether or not the water quality is acceptable for swimming.
Rainy summers, such as last year, often result in runoff into the lake, causing a dip in the water quality. With this summer's "drought," weather may not be such an issue.
According to Funke, Erie County beaches are sampled every morning. Beach staff use a forecasting model, which looks at the cloudiness of the water, recent rainfall, wind conditions, and other factors, to determine if the beach should be opened or closed for the day.
Woodlawn and Hamburg Beaches started their seasons on Memorial Day. So far this year, Woodlawn has had six closings and Hamburg has had three. Last year, Woodlawn had a total of 46 closings, and Hamburg had 16.
Bennett Beach opened last weekend and has had no closings so far, and a total of 13 last year.
Evans and Lake Erie Beaches are scheduled to open this weekend. Last year they had five and six closings respectively.
