New storm system to bring showers, colder air

We have had a cloudy, damp week, but it has been mild if not downright warm. However, we are set to enter into a weather pattern that is both dreary and cold. In fact, today may be the last day we see temperatures over 60º in the Finger Lakes for some time.

A new storm system is dropping through the Great Lakes this morning. It will merge with the still-strong storm that has been impacting our weather the last few days. As it passes by, showers are possible from late this afternoon into much of Saturday. It will not rain the entire time, and rainfall amounts will be much lighter than the past few days. Still, Saturday especially is looking rather dreary.

The initial cold front with this new system is not very impressive, but colder air is building across Canada and will dive south as the merged system advances rather quickly to the northeast tomorrow. Temperatures will likely reach their high point tomorrow morning, especially in the eastern Finger Lakes. By late afternoon tomorrow, most places will be in the 40s.

An interesting part of this forecast is early Sunday morning. As colder air continues to filter in, it will be a race to see if it gets cold enough fast enough to mix in a few snow flakes over the higher elevations of the eastern Finger Lakes. I  tend to think this will not happen though as temperatures will still be in the upper 30s as the precipitation pulls out, but even if it does, very few locations will see any mixed precipitation and no snow would stick. Still, considering it was 70º at 6am two days ago, that is quite a change.

As I alluded to earlier, next week is look cold and damp, with highs mostly in the 40s and low 50s and periods of rain possible as a storm system moves up the east coast and stalls out. I feel like the confidence in how everything plays out next week is below normal, so make sure to keep checking back and use 7-day forecasts for next week with a healthy does of skepticism.