The coming week is shaping up to be cold and wintry with some areas of intense lake effect snow.For the most part, the lake effect snow over the coming days will miss out on most of the Finger Lakes. The one exception will be from Owasco lake east, where heavy snow from Lake Ontario will be likely. Especially under the gun for intense snow is the immediate Syracuse area.
A few fluctuations in band position, most notably Monday morning and in the predawn hours Tuesday, will take the lake effect band south of Syracuse. During these times, as much as ten inches could fall across parts of southern Cayuga and northern Cortland county, including the city of Auburn.
However, most of the snow will fall in Syracuse. With an upwind connection to moisture from the Georgian Bay (top left corner of the map at the top), snow rates will exceed one inch per hour at many times in Syracuse. By Tuesday evening, as much as two feet, and locally more, will fall in the area.
Elsewhere across the Finger Lakes, little more than some scattered snow showers will be possible Monday and Tuesday. Temperatures will be chilly, with highs Monday near 20 degrees and just a couple degrees warmer on Tuesday.
Lake effect will dissipate on Wednesday before a widespread, light accumulating snow moves through Wednesday afternoon or evening. A little more lake effect will be possible on Thursday, possibly getting into Cortland and Ithaca. Friday looks quiet.
The hype machine is already in full throttle for a storm system expected this weekend. It is too early to tell where this system may go or how strong it could be. Anyone from Virginia to Maine should monitor the forecasts over the coming days, but should NOT get caught up in any details with the storm until midweek at the earliest. It is certainly too soon to call this storm historic, or consider it a miss for the Finger Lakes, even if that is what is showing on the models at this point. Stay tuned.
