Cold, breezy Friday; Weekend recovers ahead of next front

Wintry Friday

The Finger Lakes region has been bathed in white thanks to a strong cold front Thursday that will keep it feeling like winter today.

Temperatures this morning are starting in the low and mid 20s throughout the area despite areas of lake effect cloud cover southeast of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

These clouds are also producing some scattered lake effect snow showers. The snow is not steady with individual snow showers only lasting a short time before moving on.

The snow showers will become fewer and farther between this morning before ending all together around midday. Little to no accumulation is expected for most areas.

A few slick areas will be possible on untreated roads this morning, more due to slush from last night that has frozen than because of any new snow.

Outside of the lake effect, skies are sunny. Sunshine will increase across the area as the lake effect diminishes, but a few clouds will remain possible from time to time.

Temperatures today will only reach the low 30s thanks to a blustery northwest wind. The wind will be strongest in the morning with gusts of 30-40 mph. Winds will become nearly calm after sunset tonight.

With a period of clear skies early this evening and light winds, temperatures will quickly fall back through the 20s. Clouds will increase overnight and winds will start to turn to the south, halting the free fall and keeping temperatures near or above 20 degrees.

Weekend Warms (If you can call it that)

Temperatures will undergo a warming trend this weekend but will still be below normal for early November.

Saturday will have a mix of sun and clouds, with more of an emphasis on the cloudy side. Precipitation is not expected, however.

South winds will increase during the day. Gusts will not get too strong though, topping out around 20-25 mph.

The south wind will push temperatures into the upper 30s and low 40s. Temperatures will hold in the low 30s Saturday night.

A subtle warm front will lift through the area early Sunday morning. A few flurries will be possible with this feature. No accumulation is expected.

Winds will become more southwesterly behind that front and temperatures will continue to rise. Clouds will remain thick on Sunday with little hope even for a glimpse of sunshine.  Despite the clouds, temperatures will reach the mid 40s.

Back to Cold

On Monday, a cold front will creep southeast through the Finger Lakes. Early rain showers will eventually turn to snow.

The set up looks remarkably like what we saw yesterday. While nothing is never exactly the same twice, the pattern is very similar.

Just like with Thursday’s snow, at this early juncture, the models are simulating a moderate snowfall thanks to low pressure developing along the front. I expect this will decrease in the coming days and we will again end up with just minor accumulations late Monday into early Tuesday.

Nonetheless, I will be watching this closely over the weekend.

Behind this front, the air will be even colder. High temperatures both Tuesday and Wednesday will only be in the 20s.

With the cold air in place, lake effect snow will be a possibility. It is too early to pinpoint locations or amounts, though. Like today’s lake effect, next week’s lake effect generally does not look like a huge deal.

Temperatures will moderate late next week and through the weekend. Temperatures should be more normal thereafter with no more large invasions of cold air in the foreseeable future.