Hot temperatures lead to strong late day storms- Thursday May 18, 2017

Hot Temperatures Again Thursday

Thursday will be another hot and somewhat muggy day across the Finger Lakes.

After widespread mid and upper 80s and a few 90 degree readings yesterday, today will be just as hot across the Finger Lakes.

Temperatures are already climbing through the 60s and should be well into the 70s by mid-morning. Much of the afternoon will be spent above 85 degrees and a few places may touch 90 once again.

Winds will again be blustery with gusts over 30 mph possible, especially along the lake plain west of Rochester, where Wind Advisories are in place.

Temperatures will remain very muggy tonight, remaining in the mid and upper 60s throughout the overnight period.

Strong Thunderstorms Possible Late Thursday

With the heat and a favorable atmosphere, it will not take too much of a trigger to fire up some thunderstorms today.

Two such triggers will exist, which may result in two rounds of storms for the area. However, both rounds look fairly limited in their coverage area, so a widespread severe weather event like May 1st is unlikely.

The first round of storms will fire up in the 4-6 pm timeframe over the western Finger Lakes region and quickly move off to the east. by 7 or 8 pm tonight, these storms will be out of the Finger Lakes.

Large hail in excess of 1 inch in diameter and strong winds will be a threat with these storms. While the threat is low, a brief tornado cannot be ruled out.

The second batch of storms will drop southeast across Lake Ontario later this evening, mostly after 9 pm. These storms will weaken once they move inland, so the best chance for strong storms will be in the northwestern portions of the Finger Lakes.

Gusty winds and some small hail will be the primary threat with these second storms.

Overall, I think the severe weather threat is greater with the first batch of storms late this afternoon.

Cooler Friday, Nice Weekend

Temperatures will fall through the day on Friday. After starting the day in the 60s, most of the afternoon will be spent in the upper 50s.

After morning clouds and a stray shower, skies will turn sunny Friday afternoon as high pressure approaches from the northwest.

Clear skies Friday night will send temperatures into the low 40s for Saturday morning. Those temperatures will quickly rebound with ample sunshine Saturday. Look for highs Saturday to be in the upper 60s.

Sunday will also be quite sunny, though a late day shower will be possible, especially over western areas. Temperatures will be a bit warmer, with highs mostly in the low and mid 70s.

A band of rain and thunder will move through Sunday night but should clear out by early Monday.