Week starts cool, ends very warm

Cool, but not Cold

A brief shot of cooler air will return to the Finger Lakes early this week behind Sunday’s windy weather system.

The good news is that this cool air mass will be much warmer than it was last week, and snowfall will be limited.

Most of Monday will be marked by a mix of clouds and some sun and some still breezy wind gusts. West winds will gradually turn more northwesterly this afternoon with gusts of 30 to perhaps 40 mph.

Temperatures are starting the day in the mid 30s. Only a little upward movement is expected, but most areas should get to the upper 30s.

Lake effect snow showers will enter from the north this evening as a spray of flurries and small bursts. While most likely in the typically favored northern and eastern Finger Lakes, most areas should see at least a little snow fall tonight.

Flurries will linger into Tuesday morning, and for areas east of Cayuga Lake, into early Tuesday afternoon. Accumulations should be limited to around an inch at most.

Overnight temperatures will drop into the mid and upper 20s where lake effect is prevalent with low 20s and upper teens across the Southern Tier.

Temperatures on Tuesday will reach into the mid 30s with sun and clouds outside of the morning flurries.

Big Warm Up

The second half of this week will be much nicer as Spring noses in for an appearance.

Wednesday will start with temperatures near or even below 20 degrees. Sunshine and a south wind will rocket temperatures upward and many areas should at least be near 50 degrees by the afternoon.

Thursday’s low temperatures will be in the mid 30s, setting up a warm afternoon despite some clouds and a few scattered rain showers. Look for highs to at least reach the upper 50s.

Rain showers will continue Thursday night into Friday out ahead of an afternoon cold front. Before the front moves though, temperatures should reach or eclipse 60 degrees. While this is about 20 degrees above normal, it is no where near the record highs set in 1990. Ithaca’s record high Friday sits at 79 degrees while Geneva’s is 82 degrees.

Temperatures will be reset again by Saturday with highs in the 30s through the weekend and into next week. Another, more gradual but more prolonged warm up is possible beyond that.