Cool morning transitions to mild afternoon

Nice Warm Up Tuesday

Temperatures across the Finger Lakes this morning range from near 50 degrees all the way down to near 40 degrees in some of the deep valleys of the Southern Tier.

A cool Canadian high pressure system is situated directly on top of the Finger Lakes, providing perfect conditions for a cool overnight period.

Those same conditions- clear skies and dry air- will be aided by a turn in the wind direction aloft toward the south, resulting in a big warm up today.

Temperatures will rapidly climb this morning and should push into the mid and upper 70s this afternoon. A few places could even hit 80 degrees, a gain of 30 degrees or more over the course of the day.

Some high, thin cirrus clouds will drift through at times, but they will do little to filter the sunshine. Winds throughout the day will be quite light.

Temperatures tonight will not drop nearly as far as south winds continue to take hold. Look for overnight temperatures to stay near or slightly above 60 degrees.

Wet, then Warm

Clouds will gradually thicken up on Wednesday as a storm system approaches out of the Ohio Valley.

A few days ago, this system was looking like it would have the potential for severe weather. Thankfully, the timing and overall atmospheric dynamics are not favorable for severe weather here in the Finger Lakes.

Still, a period of rain is likely along with a few embedded thunderstorms. A couple of locally heavy downpours will be possible as well.

The rain will most likely begin to move in during Wednesday evening, though some showers could arrive during the latter half of the afternoon.

Several hours of rain are likely overnight with most areas receiving one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch of precipitation.

A few showers may linger Thursday morning, but skies should turn sunny before the day is done.

Temperatures will continue to warm up behind this system, with highs Thursday in the upper 70s to near 80 degrees. Friday will be sunny with highs into the low and mid 80s.

Dangerous Heat This Weekend

A big-time heat wave is expected to bake the Finger Lakes this weekend. A hot and humid air mass will move in on Saturday and linger through Monday.

Temperatures on Saturday will reach the low and mid 90s for many places. Sunday will be even hotter, with mid and upper 90s likely. Both days should have generally sunny skies with no rain expected.

Monday is a bit less certain as some cloud cover and showers may be possible, but highs should at least reach the low 90s with another day of mid and upper 90s possible.

The humidity will also rise significantly. Oppressive dewpoints near or above 70 degrees are likely.

During the peak of the heat Sunday afternoon, these dewpoints will push the heat index to 105-110 degrees. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke become real threats with that type of heat.

Temperatures should stay warm, but not excessively so, as we approach the 4th of July and the following weekend.