Sunny and warm Wednesday before day of change tomorrow

finger lakes weather forecast wednesday september 9 2020 sunny warm muggy
It will be a warm and muggy day across the Finger Lakes, but a cold front tomorrow will have temperatures 20 degrees cooler by Friday. [Photo by Gwen Moshier]

The Warm Side of the Front

A subtle frontal boundary remains draped from west to east across our region.

This front pushed back north overnight and is near or north of I-90 this morning. It will reside in this area most of the day, allowing much of the Finger Lakes to heat up.

Skies will remain mostly clear today, though far southeastern areas, such as Tioga County, may see a deck of thin clouds slide in to filter some of the sunshine this afternoon.

Most areas will push into the mid and upper 80s. A few 90 degree readings are certainly possible in the favored urban areas and broad valleys. Dewpoints will range through the 60s, keeping it muggy feeling.

North of the front, which will mostly be along the shore of Lake Ontario, temperatures will hold in the 70s.

Late this afternoon, the front will jog south a bit. By 6 PM, it should stretch roughly from Central Square to Geneva to Geneseo. Temperatures along and north of the front will fall into the 70s, while 80s remain to the south until the sun sets.

Winds on both sides of the front will be around 5 mph. Tonight, the south winds will take over and the front will push back to the north. A slight increase in wind speed is expected.

Skies will generally remain clear, though some fog and morning cloudiness will be possible across the typical areas in the south. Temperatures overnight will stay near or above 65 degrees, thanks to the increasing south wind.

Morning sunshine will push temperatures quickly through the 70s and into the 80s on Thursday before winds turn to the northwest during the mid afternoon hours. Temperatures will start to drop back into the 70s and a few stray showers may pop up.

finger lakes weather 7-day forecast wednesday september 9 2020
This graphic represents an average over the entire Finger Lakes region. Localized variations should be expected. Click to enlarge.

Cooling Down

Temperatures will continue falling, through the 60s Thursday evening and into the 50s overnight.

Some clouds will linger Friday morning, but dry air will win out and skies will turn bright and sunny by the afternoon.

Northwest winds will continue with gusts near or just over 20 mph. Temperatures will top out in the mid 60s as a result.

Saturday will see winds swing around to the southeast with a mix of sunshine and clouds. As usual, the southeast wind will warm the Rochester area the most, with highs approaching 80 degrees. Most areas will reach the mid 70s, while portions of Central New York and the Southern Tier will stick to the low 70s.

Winds will turn to the south and become blustery for Sunday. Scattered showers and perhaps a thunderstorm will be possible as a system slides through. A few showers may also linger into Monday.

Right now, it looks like this will be a fairly minor rain event, with most areas probably seeing a quarter-inch or less of precipitation.

Temperatures will retreat again for the start of next week before building back up into the 70s.

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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.

3 Responses

  1. john bruzdzinski
    |

    Drew:

    Just curious. Why will the southeast winds warm the Rochester area the most?

    Thanks.

    John B.

    • Meteorologist Drew Montreuil
      |

      The wind coming from higher elevations of the Southern Tier, then flowing downslope into the Lake Ontario plain, causes the warming. This gets more pronounced in the Rochester area vs areas further east because the elevations south-southeast of Rochester are higher than the corresponding higher elevations further east.

      • john bruzdzinski
        |

        Thank you for that explanation. Fascinating. It’s easy to forget that topography plays a large role in the weather.