Sunny and cooler before lake effect swings south

Quiet Wednesday Weather

The storm system that brought rain and wind to the Finger Lakes has departed, leaving cooler weather in its wake.

While the cold front associated with the storm system is well to the east and a narrow wedge of high pressure is working in from the southwest, the parent low itself is actually to our northwest, located between the Upper Great Lakes and the Hudson Bay.

The result of this is a cold southwest wind as the air spins counterclockwise around the low.

The southwest winds will keep lake effect limited today and generally out of the picture for the Finger Lakes.

Some limited lake snows are struggling to develop off Lake Erie while Lake Ontario is having a bit more luck producing some squally conditions.

For the rest of the area though, Wednesday will be a sunny but cooler day.

Temperatures should top out in the upper 30s this afternoon.

It will remain a bit breezy with some gusts over 30 mph, which will make it feel a bit cooler than it actually is. The winds should lessen this evening.

Lake Effect Flurries and Squalls Thursday

Winds will turn more westerly tonight and lake effect snow will become better organized as it moves south.

It remains difficult to pinpoint where the band will set up and there is a very real possibility that it will wobble to and fro throughout the night and daytime hours on Thursday.

Regardless, snow accumulations across most of the Finger Lakes will range from nothing to perhaps an inch or two.

Once you get west of Canandaigua Lake, several inches may accumulate as the snow remains better organized and less prone to wobbles in position.

Thursday night, winds will turn back towards the southwest and the lake effect will gradually head back north, out of the picture.

Temperatures on Thursday will start with morning lows generally around 30 degrees while afternoon highs reach the mid 30s.

Widespread Light Snow Sunday

Friday and Saturday should both be quiet across the Finger Lakes.

Any lake effect snow should remain outside of the region, leaving a mix of sun and clouds for the Finger Lakes.

Temperatures will remain cool, with highs in the low 30s on Friday and mid or upper 30s on Saturday.

A small storm system will drop southeast out of Canada on Sunday.

This system will be an Alberta Clipper, which is a common winter system that often brings a quick hitting widespread snow followed by colder air.

Such will be the case on Sunday when most areas should see some minor snow accumulations.

Temperatures will drop even further behind this system with Sunday’s highs in the upper 20s. A second clipper is expected on Tuesday, with temperatures struggling to get out of the teens by the middle of next week.