Brightening Skies
An area of low pressure will depart the region today, but there will be no cooldown behind the system as temperatures start to rise.
Clouds and a few more showers and thunderstorms are in place across the Finger Lakes early Thursday morning. The rain should become less and less as the morning goes on. Still, an isolated shower or two may remain possible into the afternoon hours.
Skies will gradually turn sunnier as the day goes on and by the late afternoon, there should be more blue sky than cloud cover.
Temperatures this afternoon should reach about 80 degrees.
A fresh northwest wind will develop today as the low departs with gusts in the afternoon around 25 mph. Even as this happens though, high pressure will build into the Deep South, sending warm air surging north into the Midwest and Great Lakes.
Major Heat Wave
Some of this heat will start to arrive in the Finger Lakes on Friday. With mostly sunny skies and temperatures warming aloft, our afternoon highs should reach into the 80s. Most areas should reach the mid 80s on Friday, but the humidity will still be comfortable.
Saturday will be the first really hot day as temperatures push into the low and mid 90s. Dewpoints will rise through the 60s and into the low 70s, resulting in heat index values in the upper 90s to near 100 degrees.
Saturday night will be warm and muggy with overnight temperatures sticking mostly in the 70s. That will get us off and running for Sunday when highs should reach the mid and upper 90s. Heat Index values will climb above 100 degrees for many areas.
Some areas may not drop below 75 degrees Sunday night, with Monday’s highs again in the mid and upper 90s for many areas. There will be a small chance for a late day shower.
The heat will abate somewhat, but there is a real chance that we could flirt with or exceed 90 degrees for most of the next two weeks. Within this hot pattern, there will probably be a couple more days where temperatures soar well into the 90s.
Rain may be hard to come by during this time period with high pressure dominating the eastern United States.
Starting a New Chapter
Thanks to the generous donations and support I have received since my Fund Drive in April, today marks a bittersweet occasion for me.
For the last five years, I have spent most of my working hours at the Groton Public Library. Not only has this been a wonderful part-time job, but the support from the Library staff and Board of Trustees for Finger Lakes Weather has been tremendous. Without their support, Finger Lakes Weather would not be what it is today.
Today is my last regular shift at the Library. Starting next week, I will be a full-time entrepreneur and will begin working on many of the projects I have planned for Finger Lakes Weather. First on my list for Finger Lakes Weather will be needed updates and upgrades to the Alerts page, Zip-code forecast pages, and the Homepage.
While my fund-drive in April was successful enough to make this all possible, I could still use some additional funding to make Finger Lakes Weather more sustainable for the long term. Please consider a monthly donation using the form below, or place an ad for your business on Finger Lakes Weather. If you are interested in video marketing, please get in touch with me in anticipation for the launch of a new business I am starting to help local businesses grow!
Thank you for your continued support of Local Weather!
John B.
When is the last time ithaca reached 100 degrees? I’ve lived here since 2008 and I don’t remember it getting to triple digits, there was maybe a 98 or 99 a few years ago.
Is there a place to look up historical weather data?
Meteorologist Drew Montreuil
Try https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=bgm
Meteorologist Drew Montreuil
I’ll look later when I am home too!
Meteorologist Drew Montreuil
This turned out to be pretty incredible research, John!
Ithaca has not officially recorded 100º since 1936. What makes it even more incredible is this:
July 8, 1936: 101º
July 9, 1936: 103º
July 10, 1936: 102º
July 11, 1936: 99º
There are several more 100º+ days in Ithaca’s record in the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s….but none since.
John B.
That was quite the heat wave back in 1936. And that 99 on July 11, 1936 was also the last time we got to 99. We made it to 98 in 2011.
That link on the NWS site is great, thanks for that!
Gail Dalmat
Dangerous, uncomfortable, and gross.
Jane Schantz
Congratulations on the new chapter! That is awesome!
HEAT WAVE COMING: Temperatures will get dangerous this weekend – FingerLakes1.com
[…] Read his full-update here at FLXWeather.com […]
Nancy A
July 1st seems early for near 100 degree temps. Hope this is not a continuing pattern.
Colleen Kelly
I have been noticing for years how each time there is a full moon that there is an unusual weather or a major weather shift. Has this been charted anywhere?
Meteorologist Drew Montreuil
Hi Colleen! I can’t say I have noticed any connection but will keep my eye on that to see if there are any interesting patterns! Thanks!