Sunny, but cool Wednesday; Warmer Tomorrow

A Touch Below Normal

High pressure north of the Great Lakes is supplying a fresh batch of cool air to the Finger Lakes, but only for today.

The dry, cool air is eroding away some lingering low clouds and fog, primarily across the southern portions of the region. By the mid to late morning, the entire region should be mostly sunny.

Sunny skies will continue through the day with a few thin clouds this evening.

Winds will gust around 20 mph today from the north, keeping the cool air in place. Highs will mostly be in the mid and upper 50s. A few places in the Southern Tier and near Syracuse could reach 60 degrees, while low 50s are likely along the shore of Lake Ontario.

This is actually only 5-10 degrees below normal for this point in May. Typical daily high temperatures are in the mid 60s.

Temperatures will quickly drop into the low and mid 40s this evening. Increasing clouds and a wind shift to an easterly direction will hold temperatures steady the remainder of the night. By dawn Thursday, it may even warm a couple degrees.

Thursday-Friday Weather System

A large weather system over the southern Plains today will lift northeast across the Midwest and Upper Great Lakes Thursday into Friday. This system will bring some rain chances to the Finger Lakes.

Thursday is looking increasingly likely to be a mainly dry day out ahead of this system. Clouds will mix with some breaks of sunshine through the day, but rain should hold off until after sunset. The best chance for rain will be in the hours leading up to and just after midnight.

Winds will turn to the south and increase with gusts of 35-45 mph throughout the day. The south winds will push warm air back into the region.

Look for highs on Thursday to reach the mid 60s across the Southern Tier and eastern Finger Lakes with upper 60s and low 70s as you head further north and west.

A few scattered showers will remain possible Friday morning and into the afternoon. Most of these will be light and short lived, meaning most of the day will probably turn out at least partially dry.

Temperatures will start Friday ranging through the 50s with warmer temperatures generally further west. Highs temperatures will depend on how much rain and cloud cover there is, but anything from upper 60s to mid 70s are possible.

More wet and cold weather

Behind Friday’s system, temperatures will take another dive even as a new system approaches.

Saturday will be a quiet day. Morning clouds will burn off for some afternoon sun, but new clouds high in the atmosphere will move in late in the day.

Like today, a steady but not overly strong north wind will bring cool air into the region. Temperatures will top out mostly in the low and mid 50s. Also like today, areas to the south will be warmest, while areas along the shore of Lake Ontario will be coldest.

Mother’s Day is looking dreary and dismal this year. A series of low pressure systems will pass by to our south along a frontal boundary. On and off periods of rain are likely, especially across the southern half of the region.

With the clouds and rain, temperatures on Sunday will likely be stuck in the 40s. There is an outside chance that the rain moves further south and we get some sun to warm temperatures, or the front lifts north and we end up on the warm side, but these seem more like false hopes than anything right now.

This pattern will continue for Monday with more rain showers and cold temperatures in the 40s and perhaps low 50s. Temperatures will rebound toward the middle of next week.