Wintry Wednesday in the Finger Lakes

Wintry Wednesday

The weather will look and feel like deep winter on Wednesday across the Finger Lakes with strong winds, blowing snow, and lake effect.

Areas of lake effect snow are ongoing Wednesday morning, especially over the northern and eastern Finger Lakes.

Much of this lake effect snow is not showing up well on the radar. Several more inches of snow is likely, especially along the shore of Lake Ontario, down towards Syracuse and Cortland.

Elsewhere, most areas will see an inch or less of accumulation through this afternoon.

Regardless of new snow accumulations, strong winds are blowing around what has already fallen. Even areas that are not seeing lake effect still have poor travel conditions and reduced visibilities and winds gust over 35 mph.

With temperatures in the low and mid teens, wind chills are near or below zero.

The weather will change little during the course of the day. Winds will remain strong and temperatures will remain cold with highs in the upper teens.

Lake snows will gradually retreat to the northern Finger Lakes and weaken.

Light Snow Wednesday Night

Another weather system will pass through the Finger Lakes tonight.

This system will track from the Midwest into the Mid-Atlantic. The Finger Lakes will be along the northern edge of the system’s precipitation shield overnight tonight.

This means a widespread, but light snow will fall across the area. Most places will see another inch or so, but the western half of the Southern Tier could pick up several inches.

The widespread snow will move off to the southeast by dawn Thursday.

A little lake effect will again flare up behind this system. Initially, some flurries and a couple squalls will impact the eastern Finger Lakes, but then the lake effect should move north of Syracuse and out of our region by Thursday afternoon.

Late Week & Weekend Weather

Temperatures will remain quite cold across the region on Thursday with highs again mostly in the upper teens.

Winds will turn towards the south on Friday ahead of the next small weather system to come at the region from Canada. Temperatures should rise into the upper 20s Friday afternoon.

With south winds in place, lake effect snow will not be a concern in the Finger Lakes. However, a little light snow will be possible later in the day as the storm system passes to the north and drags another cold front through the area.

Winds will turn back to the west-northwest for Saturday, sending some lake effect into the far northeastern and far western parts of the region.

Temperatures Saturday will reach the mid 20s for afternoon highs.

High pressure will move in Saturday night, squelching any lake effect and bringing clear skies to the region. Unsurprisingly, this will lead to a very cold Sunday morning with morning temperatures falling below zero away from the lakes.

Morning sun will be replaced by clouds as yet another system approaches. At this time, precipitation looks like it will hold off until Sunday night. Temperatures ahead of this precipitation may get back above freezing Sunday afternoon, despite the frigid start to the day.