WI Erie Canal never built?

Also, having lived in St. Catharines, ON (where the Welland enters Lake Ontario) and Kingston ON (at the east end of Lake Ontario), and Syracuse NY (on the Erie), I can assure you that Syracuse is colder and freezes ;harder than either Canadian city. The Great Lakes do moderate temperatures, although rather less than oceans do. Since Syracuse is not on a Great Lake or an ocean, it's colder.
 
I live in Schenectady, NY, through which the canal ran, about 10 miles from the eastern terminus in Albany. Icing over will start in December and end in March/April. Depending on weather patterns, you might have years where start/end can get pushed one way or another a few weeks. Over all, the Erie isn't going to have some amazing difference in shipping season. The western half of the canal gets pounded with lake effect snow which is going to take longer to clear in the spring and will keep the canal frozen longer.
 
I live in Schenectady, NY, through which the canal ran, about 10 miles from the eastern terminus in Albany. Icing over will start in December and end in March/April. Depending on weather patterns, you might have years where start/end can get pushed one way or another a few weeks. Over all, the Erie isn't going to have some amazing difference in shipping season. The western half of the canal gets pounded with lake effect snow which is going to take longer to clear in the spring and will keep the canal frozen longer.

Very true. Originally they thought that canal traffic would be enough to prevent ice from forming but after the first winter proved it wasn't the canal was partially drained from December to March/April as you said to prevent ice damage. The canal was only available for cargo seven months a year.
 
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