Early Week Weather
An area of high pressure will slide through the Finger Lakes region today, keeping the weather quiet through the daytime hours.
Ahead of this high pressure, a wind shift is spawning some cloudiness across most of the region. Only portions of the Southern Tier are starting out with some sunshine. Those areas are also colder, with temperatures in the teens, while the rest of the region is in the 20s.
Clouds will linger into the midday hours. A stray flurry cannot be totally ruled out, but the majority of the region will stay dry.
A clearing trend will take place this afternoon as the morning clouds dissipate. A new area of thin clouds will move in late from the southwest, but may not arrive in more eastern areas until after sunset.
Northwest winds will hold temperatures down with highs a couple degrees on either side of 30. Higher elevations are the most likely areas to not reach 30 degrees.
Temperatures will drop back into the teens and 20s this evening before a south wind picks up and temperatures rise again overnight. By dawn Tuesday, temperatures will be into the low 30s.
An area of snow will move in between midnight and dawn and will continue into the mid-morning hours. The snow will then taper off and turn to rain showers as temperatures continue to climb. The morning commute may be a bit slower than normal as a result.
Total snow amounts through Tuesday morning will be around an inch for most areas with 2 or 3 inches in some higher elevations.
By sunrise, the south wind will be strong with gusts as high as 40 mph. These strong winds will continue into the midday hours Tuesday before gradually decreasing through the afternoon. Only a few spotty rain showers are expected in the afternoon with highs topping out in the low and mid 40s.
Next Shot of Cold
Late Tuesday, winds will turn to the west and northwest, allowing cooler air to seep back into the region.
Scattered lake effect snow showers and perhaps a brief squall will develop for the second half of Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning. Locally an inch or so may fall.
Before Wednesday is done, some sunshine should work out, especially for areas south of I-90. Temperatures will spend most of Wednesday in the mid and upper 20s.
Temperatures will fall into the teens and single digits Wednesday night under mostly calm winds and partly cloudy skies. Winds will pick up from the northwest as we head into Thursday, bringing a second round of scattered lake effect snow showers.
The favored lake effect areas from Wayne County to Cortland County and Onondaga County could see a couple inches, depending on the behavior of the lake effect band.
Thursday will be chilly with highs struggling to get beyond 20 degrees.
High pressure will then take over with quiet weather and a warming trend through the weekend. Highs Friday should be in the 20s with mid and upper 30s Saturday. By next Sunday, temperatures could be back into the 40s.
