Pressure washing costs in Buffalo

Buffalo has the sunniest and driest summers of any major city in the Northeast, according to the National Weather Service's Buffalo office. Summer rain tends to come overnight, so it's seldom a problem for outdoor activities, and Lake Erie's stabilizing effect holds back thunderstorms. That's good news for any job that needs a dry afternoon. The office adds that August usually turns a bit more showery and humid as the lake warms.

There's a newer thing to watch for on your deck. The state Department of Agriculture and Markets lists the Buffalo area among the places in the state where spotted lanternfly has been found. Erie County isn't on its list of counties where you can skip reporting, so if you see one, the department asks for a photo, a sample and a report to its lanternfly responders. Cornell's pest management program warns that the insect's honeydew makes a mess and that sooty mold grows on it.

Your spigot can change color, too. Buffalo Water says brown or red cold tap water is probably mineral deposits, stirred up by a water main break, by workers flushing fire hydrants, by construction vibration or by kids playing with hydrants. If the water comes out brown or red after one of those, the utility's advice is to wait until the disruption has stopped, then run the cold tap until it clears.