Wet weekends prompt rainchecks on outdoor activities
Oct. 20—A recent spate of rain on weekends dampened some outdoor activities across the area.
Eight days of the past six weekends had rain amounts ranging from 0.42 inches to 2.51 inches, while five of the other days had rain ranging from trace amounts to one tenth of an inch, according to measurements recorded at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport in Luzerne County.
The wet weather caused some weekend warriors to take rainchecks on recreation.
Roba Family Farms in North Abington Twp., Lackawanna County, closed because of heavy rain on several recent weekend days during its busy fall tourism season.
"It definitely dampens business," Sue Roba said of rainy weather. "I think we closed four or five of those days, on weekend days, which is huge for us. So we lost that. We've definitely felt it this year."
Tropical Storm Ophelia in late September caused two of those closures, on consecutive days of Sept. 23-24.
"We lost both days, the Saturday and Sunday. That was the first time in 30 years that we remember that happening," Roba said.
The deluge in parts of Lackawanna County on Sept. 9 forced a nighttime closure of Roba Family Farm. It also closed for the day on Oct. 7 because of rain.
Several events in the area scheduled for Oct. 14 were postponed because of forecast rain.
The new owners of Lakeland Golf Club in Benton Twp., Lackawanna County — Martina Pitts and her husband, Ralph Verbinski — bought the course in late July and are still getting their feet wet in operating the links.
"We actually are getting our feet wet," Pitts said. "It's crazy. Our greens are good right now but our fairways are soggy as anything."
It's also par for the course that wet weekends tend to result in fewer casual open-round golfers coming out.
"Definitely the rain has been a deterrent. When the sun comes out, it's like magic, the people come out," Pitts said.
And when it rains, it does indeed pour at times in localized spots.
"We will get some calls asking, 'Is it raining there?' because it seems to vary a lot from one area to another," Pitts said. "Clarks Summit was getting pouring rain a few weeks ago and we had nothing."
Abington Youth Soccer League lost three out of the past seven Saturdays from rain, said Josh Mitchell, the vice president of the league's recreational soccer.
"We're hoping we don't lose games tomorrow (Saturday)" because of more rain, Mitchell said. "It's been a difficult fall."
Forecasts for Scranton call for 50% chance of showers Saturday during the day, and then a 30% chance during both Saturday night and Sunday during the day, according to the National Weather Service.
By Sunday night and into Tuesday, clouds should show some silver linings as forecasts call for cloudy and sunny skies, without any rain.
"We're hoping the rain this weekend misses us," Roba said. "You've got to have a positive outlook."
Monday night also could bring some frost on the pumpkins from temperatures dropping to a low of 36 degrees. Tuesday's forecast predicts a warmup with a high of 64.
Contact the writer: jlockwood@scrantontimes.com; 570-348-9100 x5185.
