Heat and humidity return to the Finger Lakes

finger lakes weather forecast monday august 10 2020 hot humid heat advisories
Hot and humid air is moving back into the Finger Lakes for Monday and Tuesday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue heat advisories. [Photo by Gwen Moshier]

Dog Days of Summer

High pressure has parked itself along the coast of the Southeastern United States and will pump heat and humidity back into the Finger Lakes.

We were already beginning to see a warming trend over the weekend, but the heat and humidity will peak today and tomorrow.

Skies are starting off sunny and a southwest flow of air has set up across the region. This will continue throughout the day as fair weather clouds bubble up and mix with the sunshine.

There is a small chance for a couple brief showers or storms this afternoon. This will particularly be the case in the southeastern quadrant of the region. Most areas will not see any rain, and there is some doubt whether anything at all pops up today.

Highs will be near 90 degrees for much of the region. Higher elevations will of course be a touch cooler. Dewpoints will climb to near or just above 70 degrees, which will feel quite muggy.

finger lakes weather heat advisories monday august 10 2020
The counties under a Heat Advisory today include, from northwest to southeast: Monroe, Livingston, Wayne, Ontario, Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Tompkins, Schuyler, Chemung, and Tioga.

The high humidity will send heat index values above 95 degrees for portions of the region. This has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a smattering of Heat Advisories, as shown on the accompanying map in orange.

Winds will be light today from the south and southwest at 5-10 mph. Gust should remain under 20 mph.

Skies will be mostly clear tonight, but temperatures will remain in the 70s most of the night. That will get us off and running for an even hotter day tomorrow.

Highs for many places will exceed 90 degrees, and the favored warm areas in the northern Finger Lakes and I-90 Corridor will have a shot at the mid 90s. The humidity may be a bit less for a time tomorrow, but it will still feel plenty hot and sticky.

Again, there will be a chance for some showers and storms. This time, a front will be approaching which may help trigger some rain. The overall chances still do not look high, though, and more areas will likely see little to no rain.

finger lakes weather 7-day forecast monday august 10 2020
This graphic represents an average over the entire Finger Lakes region. Localized variations should be expected. Click to enlarge.

Temperatures Slide Back Some

This front will clear out the very hot and humid air, but it will remain plenty warm the rest of the week.

High temperatures throughout the week and into the weekend should remain above the seasonal averages and well into the 80s.

Conditions generally look dry and sunny with a lingering shower possible early Wednesday.

Areas close to the Pennsylvania state line may see a pop up shower here and there through the second half of the week. This will be from the front, which will be stalled out just to the south. If the front creeps back northward at all, the rain chances, and humidity, could increase in the rest of the Finger Lakes.

There may be a better chance for rain late in the weekend or early next week as a low pressure system makes its way northeast toward our region. This is too far out for any details, but it will be something to watch through the week.

Temperatures behind that system should cool off significantly, at least for a couple days for the first half of next week.

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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.