Heat is on in the Finger Lakes

A Taste of Summer

The Finger Lakes will experience a taste of summer for the next 48 hours as hot and somewhat humid air surges north on gusty southwest winds.

Temperatures are starting Wednesday in the 50s and 60s, but those temperatures will rise in a hurry under mostly sunny skies.

As the sun climbs higher in the sky this morning, the wind will start to kick up and will become rather gusty. Look for frequent gusts between 25-35 mph through the afternoon hours before subsiding as the sun begins to set.

The temperatures this afternoon will be well above normal, and for many areas, the warmest it has been so far in 2017. The entire region should be in the 80s, with most of the Finger Lakes settling in the mid 80s. A few areas will be warmer, and a few cooler, so be sure to check your zip-code forecast for the details on your town.

The overnight will be quiet, but quite mild. Low temperatures will only drop into the 60s for most areas.

Thursday will be similarly warm, with mostly mid 80s, but a few upper 80s as well.

Thursday Evening Thunderstorm Threat

A cold front will approach the region from the northwest on Thursday evening. With hot and marginally humid air in place ahead of the front, there will be a chance for a few thunderstorms.

The best chance for thunderstorms will be across the northwestern Finger Lakes and northern parts of Western New York. These areas will be closest to the front around sunset and could see a line of storms move in off of Lake Ontario by 8 or 9 pm.

The line of storms will drop southeast and weaken before dissipating completely after midnight south and east of the Finger Lakes.

There is a chance for some strong storms to be embedded within this line, especially for the northwestern areas. Overall, the severe threat looks fairly minimal for most of the Finger Lakes, but some wind and hail could still be possible.

Should the line of storms arrive a couple of hours early, a more robust severe threat could be possible. At this time, that is not expected.

Cooler Friday, Rebounding for the Weekend

The actual cold front will not slide through until Friday morning. Ahead of the front, temperatures will remain mild and muggy through Thursday night.

Temperatures Friday morning will again start out well into the 60s. However, once the front slides through, the temperatures will actually fall, with most areas spending the afternoon hours in the 50s.

A few spotty showers will be possible on Friday, but the best chance for rain with this front will be with the thunderstorms Thursday evening.

Temperatures will not stay down, but they will not get hot again, either. Both Saturday and Sunday look to end up fairly close to normal, with highs in the mid and upper 60s Saturday and around 70 degrees on Sunday.

The weekend is looking generally dry and sunny, with some increasing clouds later Sunday along with an evening shower.

The pattern of generally near normal temperatures looks to continue well into next week.