Temperatures bounce around as front moves in, stalls out

Temperature Roller Coaster

An area of low pressure well north into Canada and a second low over western Kansas are connected by a frontal boundary this morning.

The Canadian low will shoot east, but the Kansas low will linger, resulting in a drawn out, slow moving front that will cause our temperatures to bounce like a Yo-Yo the next few days.

With the low to our north and high pressure just off the coast of New England, Thursday will be another day of south winds in the Finger Lakes. Unlike the gentle breezes of Wednesday, today’s winds will be blustery with top gusts of 25-35 mph.

The stronger wind will help offset increasing cloud cover as the front approaches. Temperatures today will be warmer than yesterday, with mid and upper 50s for most areas. Temperatures will be a touch cooler across the Southern Tier, with low 50s for highs.

A few scattered rain showers will move through the Finger Lakes during the midafternoon hours with a second chance for showers during the evening hours. All this rain will be light, and some areas will not see any rain before midnight.

The front will move in after midnight and rain will become steady as it continues into the early morning hours.

By the mid and late morning, the front will set up from west to east across northern Pennsylvania. Rain showers will continue across the Southern Tier, but areas to the north should dry out.

Temperatures will be about ten degrees cooler with highs generally in the mid 40s.

Weekend Weather

The ride will not end there, however. The front will push back north after midnight Friday night. By sunrise Saturday, temperatures south of I-90 may be pushing into the upper 40s.

The front should clear the Finger Lakes, setting up from southwest to northeast from Niagara Falls to Watertown. The front will be so sharp, it is possible that Buffalo will be in the 50s while Niagara Falls remains in the 30s Saturday afternoon.

For the Finger Lakes, temperatures should soar into the low or mid 60s, especially if any sun breaks through the clouds. Morning showers will taper off, but not completely end during the afternoon.

Winds will pick up again as well on Saturday with 30-40 mph wind gusts from the south and southwest.

Cold air will get the final word as the front gets dragged through the Finger Lakes once more Saturday night. Temperatures will crash with the frontal passage, dropping quickly from the 50s to the 30s in less than an hour.

The front will be accompanied by a slow moving band of precipitation. A wave of low pressure riding along the front could enhance the precipitation, but the timing of that wave is uncertain. Currently, the best chance for heavier precipitation, likely snow, would be over western New York.

Several inches of snow could accumulate over the western and northern Finger Lakes as a result, but this remains highly uncertain.

Precipitation should move out near sunrise Sunday, though a few lake effect snow showers will be possible in the afternoon and evening. High temperatures will only be in the 30s.

After a similarly chilly Monday, temperatures should bounce back to above normal levels for most of next week.