Strong winds possible with cold front this afternoon, evening

Strong winds may accompany a line of heavy rain as a cold front pushes through late Saturday. The best chance for severe winds is over western NY.
Strong winds may accompany a line of heavy rain as a cold front pushes through late Saturday. The best chance for severe winds is over western NY.

A cold front will cross the Finger Lakes region this evening, bringing an end to our latest stretch of hot, dry weather.

Most of the day will still be very enjoyable though, with warm temperatures and a mix of sun and clouds. It will be rather breezy though, with a strong south wind occasionally gusting towards 30 mph. High temperatures should reach into the mid 80s.

By the middle of the afternoon, a band of precipitation will develop just ahead of the cold front over southern Ontario. This band of rain should intensify rather quickly as it moves into western New York for the later afternoon hours.

As it does so, I think a sneaky severe weather event could unfold as the line of storms tap into the winds already in place and enhance them. Even though these storms will probably have little in the way of thunder and lightning, I would not be surprised to see some reports of wind damage over western New York.

By dinnertime, this band of storms will be pushing into the Finger Lakes, likely already weakening. Still, some strong winds and maybe an isolated report of damage or two will be possible. The line will continue to weaken as it presses east, with little to no severe threat by the time it reaches I-81 in Central NY.

Keep an eye to the sky (and radar) this afternoon and early evening. Remember- thunder and lightning will probably be absent, so the only clue that a gusty downpour is about the strike will be the darkening sky.

Temperatures will quickly drop as the cold front comes through. With the precipitation moving well east of the Finger Lakes overnight, most of the night will be partly cloudy to clear. This, combined with the fresh supply of cold air, will send temperatures down into the 40s and 50s overnight. In about 12-hours from Saturday afternoon to the early morning Sunday, the temperature will drop 30-40 degrees.

Sunday will be partly cloudy and dry, but with highs only in the mid 60s.

Follow Meteorologist Drew Montreuil:
Meteorologist Drew Montreuil has been forecasting the weather in the Finger Lakes region since 2006 and has degrees in meteorology from SUNY Oswego (B.S. with Honors) and Cornell (M.S.). Drew and his wife have four young boys. When not working or playing with the boys, he is probably out for a run through the countryside.