A bit of snow for New Year’s Eve

Low Pressure Moves Through

An area of low pressure tracked into the Great Lakes region on Sunday, stalled out, and will finally begin to move again today.

The low will start to weaken as it tracks northeast along the US-Canada border.

This morning, the Finger Lakes is situated in a region of dry air wrapping around the low. There is still plenty of cloud cover and a few flurries and rain showers dot the region. Steady, widespread precipitation is not expected this morning though.

Temperatures are in the low and mid 30s this morning and will only rise a little today. Most areas will see highs in the upper 30s, though a few areas could hit 40, especially if a little sun breaks through the clouds during the midday hours.

A band of snow will then rotate into the region from the west this afternoon as the low passes by. As of 8 AM, this snow is over Michigan, northern Ohio, and northern Indiana. It may intensify slightly as it crosses Lake Erie but will start to weaken again as it enters the Finger Lakes during the mid afternoon.

Still, a few heavier bursts may be possible within the area of snow. On the flip side, there also could be some geographic influences that reduce the snow over the areas between Canandaigua and Cayuga Lakes.

All in all, most areas should see a light coating of snow while higher elevations may an inch or two. With temperatures in the low and mid 30s, the snow will be wet and slushy.

Most of the snow should be over by about 7 PM, though some scattered flurries will linger into the evening. Temperatures will stay near or just below 30 degrees through midnight. Southwest winds will be a bit on the blustery side though, making it feel a bit cooler.

The Weather to Start 2020

New Year’s Day will be a relatively quiet day. It will start off by picking up where New Year’s Eve left off with a few lake effect flurries during the morning hours. These will become less common during the afternoon and will end all together by the evening as winds become more southerly.

Temperatures will start in the upper 20s and rise to just the low and mid 30s. Winds will remain blustery in the morning, but like the snow, will dissipate during the afternoon.

Thursday will be a sunny, mild day. The sunshine and south winds will propel temperatures back into the mid and upper 40s. Some clouds will begin to work in during the afternoon.

Those clouds will be associated with a weather system taking shape over the Deep South. That will track northward, bringing us periods of rain Friday and Saturday with a bit of snow on the backside of the system for Sunday.

Next week’s weather will be influenced by another storm system tracking up from the South. The path of this storm remains uncertain. Most likely, it will bring us colder weather, but not a lot of snow. More fringe possibilities include accumulating snow… or temperatures pushing above 50 degrees.

Stay tuned and be wary of hype. Have a safe and happy New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day!