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I went out a few day's ago to grab some lunch, and do some snapper fishing with the "little guy", it was sunny and bright, I checked the weather, radar, radio etc. All clear ! I went about 1000 yds down the canal and stopped, threw out the anchor in a "Whopping" 5 ft of water, and rigged up, I noticed a dark cloud slightly forming, so I kept my eye on it, I checked the weather AGAIN, no report's of ANY activity, within about 10-15 minutes it formed right over me, a few rain drop's fell and I said "Well that's about it", I yanked anchor, and fired up, about 30 second's later the skies opened up with "Hail" and Hard driving rain, then the wind picked up to about 40 kts and a "Micro-burst" opened up on me, I threw the kid's under the seat cover, and hit the throttle full, it must have rained 2 inches in 30 second's, now keep in mind I'm only about 1000 ft down a canal from my slip, I almost rammed a 17' Montauk from behind on the way in, Hail was blinding, he was "Plowing" as I was Planing (Thank God that blue hull stuck out), he then went up on plane, now my boat is FAR from a speed boat but, still a pretty fast little package, I could'nt believe how fast this happened, and how long it took to cover 1000 yds, I got everyone in the car and the A/C w/heat on, I was totally soaked, and in disbelief on how fast this all happened. The storm only covered two town's and then blew out to sea (according to NOAA doppler radar info. AFTER the storm).
mw

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weather can come up quick. I am just glad a bad day did not turn into a tragic day, ending with someone hurt in a crash. I have been caught in bad weather and though the thought of running out from under it seems to be the frist thought, staying put or idleing into the storm is safer for every one. Although we do not know where a storm will pop up we do know it will pass.

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I lived in the Florida keys for several years and weather would "Instantanously" appear out of no where all the time. I never got hit with hail though, that crap hurts!!

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Interesting you mention Florida.

All of my boating, fishing, and beach going friends have been talking about the weather/environment here on Long Island. The weather seems to be behaving more and more "tropical"each season. More than a few people have mentioned the "Florida Clouds" we been watching overhead recently. Microburst squalls with lightning and thunder seem on the rise too.

I for one don't ever remember the ocean on the south shore beaches being as clear and as warm as they have been in recent years. The water has lost the distinct green tinge of algae and plankton I remember as a kid. Those of us who spend time on Fire Island have seen a shift in the migration of the birds and monarch butterflies as well. Everything is happening earlier in the calendar except maybe the fall blue fish and strip bass runs which seem to happen later and later...

El Nino? La Nina? Global Warming? Who knows but something's happening out there...:o

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"Brooks89" is right, I just heard the "Florida" comment this morning at the coffee shop, we (other boaters) were talking about this "strange" wx pattern going on, and how it has almost been happening all summer, it's been doing strange thing's like a bad storm for an hour, totally clearing up for 2 hours, then another violent storm for 45 minutes,then sunny with cloudless blue skies, then another storm quickly moves in again, this is happening like 4x a day in many cases, we were exchanging storm stories at he coffee shop and it was statement's like: "No, that was the second storm on Tuesday you got caught in, I was caught in the third storm on Thursday, or was that Friday", then I'm asking "Which storm did I get caught in" ? It makes "Boating" a real "Crap shoot" as nobody is trusting the Wx. Report's are "Thunder Storm's are Possible, some may be severe at times" and that's all they'll say, nobody's trusting the forecast (and for good reason).
mw

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Brooks and MW,
I can tell you what's happening. So many NY`ers have moved to Florida, and now there is no more room, so everyone here got together and signed a petition to send some of out beautiful weather to Long Island, so ya`ll can just stay there. Can you use a truck load of coconut palms, by any chance? No we didn`t send any good weather upstate, those folks wouldn`t know what to do on a nice day.:D

rich

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MW,
Sounds like the weather in cajun country to me. We've learned to take it moment to moment. A lot of folks get down pretty hard on the forecasters here. I think we don't give them enough credit. Their forecasts are almost always good for at least 5 minutes and they get the temperaure within 20 degrees one way or the other every day.:D
Mike

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We know this "Bink", that's why we hold back on the "Cheesecake, Pizza, and Bagel's" for Fla. ;)

Moose, "Forecaster's" should be paid on "Accuracy" (they'd go broke). :)

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The NYer's who move to Florida usually end up in North Georgia and are affectionately called "Half-backs"......because they moved 1/2 way back.

:D

Well.....at least the North Georgia mountain folk think it's funny.

Cliff