Snow and wind persist through Wednesday

finger lakes weather forecast update windy snow accumulation map winter storm warning
A snowy, windy day is in store for the Finger Lakes with moderate travel impacts, especially over the eastern Finger Lakes. [Photo by Joan Lockwood]

Moderate Impact Snow Event Wednesday

No changes have been made to the Finger Lakes Weather forecast or maps from Tuesday as everything is unfolding as expected.

Areas of lake effect snow continue from the overnight this morning with widespread flurries and embedded squalls. These will continue throughout the day today and will especially focus over higher elevations east of Cayuga and Owasco lakes.

Strong winds will also develop this morning and continue through the day and into the overnight period. Northwest winds will gust between 30-40 mph.

finger lakes weather forecast snow map tuesday march 13 2018 wednesday march 14 2018
No changes to the storm total snow accumulation map have been made for Wednesday, March 14, 2018. This map includes the snow that fell Tuesday night. Click the image to enlarge.

The snow should begin to pull east this evening and should mostly be out of the area shortly after midnight.

Snowfall amounts will vary greatly with location and elevation. I have made no adjustments to the map I published yesterday, which I have reposted here. This map, therefore, includes the snow that fell overnight.

Over the course of today, areas west of Cayuga Lake should expect to only see a couple of additional inches. Snow amounts during the daytime and evening hours will be greater east of Cayuga Lake.

Travel conditions will be sloppy, especially on rural roads prone to drifting, so please use due caution and give yourself extra time today. Main roads which are actively treated may be just wet at times, though. The mix of sloppy and wet conditions makes this a moderate impact event.

As an additional note, overnight the National Weather Service upgraded Tompkins and Cortland counties from an advisory to a Winter Storm Warning.

Again though, my forecasts remain unchanged and I still do not see Ithaca exceeding 4 inches or so. The warning is more relevant for the Groton-Freeville-Dryden area than the city of Ithaca, though I still feel these areas max out at 6 or 7 inches.

Temperatures today will rise from the upper 20s this morning into the low 30s this afternoon, then back into the 20s this evening.

Cool, Breezy End of Week

By Thursday morning, the Finger Lakes should be mostly devoid of falling snow. Only a couple stray flurries are expected.

A little sun may even poke out during the midday and early afternoon hours.

Winds will remain blustery with gusts over 30 mph. This will, of course, continue to cause areas of blowing and drifting on prone roadways.

Temperatures should warm into the mid 30s, which will help clear up travel conditions with the exception of those drifty areas.

Flurries and a couple of squalls may redevelop Thursday night and into early Friday morning. A couple of inches may fall in a few select, localized areas over the eastern Finger Lakes as a result.

By Friday afternoon, the snow should taper off as high pressure begins to build in. Temperatures Friday will be chilly, with highs only in the mid to perhaps upper 20s. Winds will also continue to gust over 30 mph.

The wind will decrease slightly over the weekend, but still, gusts of 25-30 mph will be possible. Temperatures will remain cool, with highs both days in the low 30s.

The good news is that both Saturday and Sunday look quite sunny at this time.

Support FLX Weather with an automatic monthly donation:

Updating Finger Lakes Weather and answering your questions takes a lot of time and effort. Regular, monthly contributions help tremendously by increasing my available time to serve you. Even a couple of dollars a month — just pennies a day — will be a huge help! Thank you!




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.

6 Responses

  1. Denise
    |

    Good Morning. First thank you for your no-nonsense and REALLY good weather forecasts. Would it be possible to add Newark, NY to your list of cities? We get hit with quite a bit of snow being in the middle. Thanks for your considerations.

    • Meteorologist Drew Montreuil
      |

      Thanks for the comment, Denise. I’ve considered adding something in Wayne County to the map in the past but one of the major reasons I haven’t is because I don’t want a city label to block much of the map in that area. As you know, snow can vary a lot from place to place over the northern Finger Lakes, and with labels nearby in Geneva and Auburn, it would start to get a bit cluttered up there.

      However, a new feature I plan to implement (though probably not until next season, unfortunately), will be an option where you can enter your zip code and it will tell you how much to expect in your town…then everyone will have that same benefit.

  2. […] Weather Center   |   FLX Weather – Latest Report   |   National Weather […]

    • Denise
      |

      Hello.

      I can understand that cluttering could be an issue. Geneva and Auburn do not get the same we get here. I don’t know how to explain it exactly but we seem to be between the Lake affects and the less intense locations. The new feature sounds like a GREAT addition for those of us stuck in the middle. 😀

      I look forward to the SUNNY warmer forecasts.

      • Meteorologist Drew Montreuil
        |

        Oh yes your weather is definitely different than either of those locations. Those small differences are all over our region. I am excited for that feature too once I get the time to code it!

  3. John Gregoire
    |

    2.5 inches overnight, snowing currently. Water equiv of 1.8.