A sunny, dry break in the weather for Friday

finger lakes weather forecast friday may 31 2019 sunshine comfortable dry
Friday will be a nice day in the Finger Lakes before an unsettled weekend and chilly start to next week. [Photo by Meteorologist Drew Montreuil]

Nice Day Today

The Finger Lakes will finally get a nice day to enjoy as a small area of high pressure passes overhead today.

There are a few areas of fog and low clouds this morning. These should burn off by the mid to late morning at the latest. The rest of the day should be mostly sunny.

The sky this afternoon may seem hazy. This will be due to some smoke in the atmosphere from wildfires in Canada. While the smoke should be dissipating this evening, there still should be some around that may make for a spectacular sunset.

Temperatures this morning are starting out in the low and mid 50s. Afternoon highs will top out just shy of normal with most areas in the upper 60s to near 70 degrees.

A gentle northwest breeze will blow with top gusts around 20 mph.

Clear skies this evening will be replaced by clouds overnight. A few showers will work in by dawn Saturday, kicking off an unsettled weekend.

Weekend Overview

The showers early Saturday morning should be progressive and mostly move out of the area by the mid-morning hours.

This rain will develop along a weak frontal boundary that will meander around the region this weekend. Much like this past week, as waves of energy traverse the front, our rain chances will increase. However, nailing down these subtle disturbances is not an easy task.

The next chance for rain will come Saturday afternoon. However, there are some substantial disagreements on the weather models. Some models develop showers and thunderstorms widespread across the Finger Lakes, while others keep the action to our south in Pennsylvania.

I can easily see either scenario coming to pass and do not have a strong feeling toward one or the other. Hopefully this will become clearer by Saturday morning.

Regardless, temperatures tomorrow should warm well into the 70s.

A few showers and maybe a rumble of thunder will continue overnight with a better chance for rain through the early afternoon hours Sunday. The chances for thunderstorms do not look as good with the timing of this system, but any delay could lead to an increase chance of storms for eastern portions of the region.

The area should dry out later Sunday afternoon with a stiff northwest wind developing. Temperatures will peak early in the day in the upper 60s to near 70 degrees with low and mid 60s for the afternoon.

Next Week Preview

The weather next week will start off chilly behind Sunday’s system.

Clearing skies Sunday night will allow temperatures to fall in the upper 30s and low 40s Monday night. Breezy winds should prevent any frost from developing.

Gusty west winds will continue throughout Monday. Skies will be a mix of sun and fair-weather clouds. One or two pop up showers cannot be ruled out. If any of these get robust, a little small hail could form.

High temperatures Monday will only reach the mid and upper 50s. A few higher elevations of the Southern Tier may get stuck in the low 50s.

Monday night will again be cold with widespread upper 30s across the Southern Tier and low 40s in the Finger Lakes. A few pockets of frost may even be possible.

Tuesday will turn out similar to Monday with sun and clouds. The chances for rain seem to be almost nil. Winds will continue to be blustery, turning more to the northwest once again. High temperatures should start to approach 60 degrees.

Later Wednesday into Thursday will be our best shot for rain next week as warm air pushes back in. The end of the week, at this time, looks dry.

Temperatures Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday should all be well into the 70s with a few places pushing towards 80 degrees. This warm weather should continue into next weekend.

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Follow Meteorologist Drew Montreuil:
Meteorologist Drew Montreuil has been forecasting the weather in the Finger Lakes region since 2006 and has degrees in meteorology from SUNY Oswego (B.S. with Honors) and Cornell (M.S.). Drew and his wife have four young boys. When not working or playing with the boys, he is probably out for a run through the countryside.