Okay, here are my observations about Long Island and be forewarned, I'm also taking this opportunity to moan and groan about my own particular growing conditions in Bellport (I had a rough season!)

In my Bellport garden I have:

-Very high humidity, I think muggier than the middle of the island and North Shore. This summer was particularly brutal.

-Fewer days of rain than other parts of the island. While everyone else on the island got lots of rain this summer, downpours and such, we had nothing. A fellow forum member stopped by and mentioned that she had a lot of rain this summer. I just smiled and said "oh yes", secretly jealous that I hardly got any. For work, I travel to other parts of the island, and this summer I noticed many a downpour in both mid island and north shore areas. I would then come home to find that not only did we get zero rain, but nonetheless, we still had lots of humidity. Humidity without rain is a rose grower's worst enemy (blackspot). Rain actually HELPS keep fungal diseases at bay by washing fungal spores off the leaves and canes (I learned this from a fellow rose forum member). Humidity, on the other hand, allows fungal disease to proliferate and run amok. And of course, since we had no rain, I was constantly watering and watering this summer. Thank goodness we finally installed the drip irrigation system. But our water bill was high this year (relative to last year... it's still cheap in the scheme of things).

-Well, on the positive side, since we tend to have fewer days of rain in this area, we have … fewer days of rain. I read on another post that the reason a rose nursery set up shop in East Patchogue (next door to Bellport) is because the area is known to have more days of sun than other parts of the island. So it is a nice thing we have fewer days of rain here in Bellport, but can someone please get rid of the humidity? :-)

Your observations?

That said, the only rain I've had since early August, has been directly linked to the various hurricanes. Three downfalls that were between 3 and 5" in a fairly short period of time. Other than that, none at all. The period since the last hurricane rain has been just gorgeous weather. Temps in the mid-high 70's, sunny and breezy.

Alberta, glad to see you here too.
Actually, this summer was noted by even the network weather news as being more humid than usual. Not hotter, just more humid. It was actually reported to be more humid at certain points this summer in NY than it was in New Orleans and Miami.

Yes, this summer was not HOT, that is true, but I'm not complaining about the heat. Hey, I can handle the heat, I lived in Texas for a brief period. I actually wish it had been hotter this summer since once temps hit the high 80s and 90s, blackspot decreases as it is killed off by the high heat. On the other hand, humidity combined with mild summer temps are the IDEAL conditions for blackspot to flourish and wreak havoc. I had a lengthy conversation with a local nurseryman about the incredible morning fog we were having this summer, and the unusual manner in which the entire Bellport/Brookhaven Hamlet area was blanketed in a deep morning mist for quite a few weeks. So I disagree that the humidity this summer was "business-as-usual", at least not in my neighborhood.

Anyways, I still have a feeling that despite the fact that we are an island, and hence, surrounded on all sides by water, some parts of LI experience different conditions than others. Much different, since some live closer to the water than others. I live 1/2 mile from the water, and driving just 5 miles inland I notice a huge difference in the moisture levels in the air.