Front splits the Finger Lakes today, heads north tonight

finger lakes weather forecast thursday october 22 2020 rain front clouds sun temperatures
With the front overhead, today will not be quite as warm as yesterday or tomorrow, but it will still be much warmer than the weather that is coming starting Saturday. [Photo by Meteorologist Drew Montreuil]

More Front Fluctuations

All week, our region has been subject to the whims of frontal boundaries moving back and for through the region.

In a small twist, today the front will simply sit over the region, splitting it in two.

At 8 AM, the front was near the NY-PA state line and slowly creeping northward. Some rain showers have developed north of the front as a result, especially over the western half of the Finger Lakes region.

These showers will dissipate and move north during the mid to late morning hours. A stray spit of rain cannot be totally ruled out for the afternoon, but most areas should stay dry.

Sunshine will try to break through the clouds this afternoon. It will have more luck across the southern half of the region, along and south of the front. This in turn will help those areas heat up more.

Daytime highs along and north of the Thruway will be around or just below 60 degrees. The further south, the warmer it gets, with upper 60s widespread along and south of a Dansville-Ithaca line. A Gradient of low and mid 60s will set up in the areas in between.

Winds will be light and variable with the front overhead, but will turn to the southeast, then south tonight as they increase. Gusts of 20-25 mph are likely by dawn.

The front will move north tonight as a result and dissipate. Temperatures will rise from the mid and upper 50s this evening to the low 60s Friday morning.

South winds of 10-15 mph with gusts to 30 mph will blow steadily through Friday. There should be plenty of sunshine as well, though the best chance for some clouds will be during the morning. The winds and sunshine will add up to another day with highs in the low and mid 70s.

finger lakes weather 7-day forecast thursday october 22 2020
This graphic represents an average over the entire Finger Lakes region. Localized variations should be expected. Click to enlarge.

Pattern Change

Temperatures will remain near or above 60 Friday night until a cold front moves through during the predawn hours. With the passage of the front, temperatures will drop 10-15 degrees in under 2 hours, leaving most areas in the mid and upper 40s by sunrise.

Showers will accompany the front and clear out from west to east Saturday morning. Less than a quarter-inch of rain is expected.

The rest of Saturday will be cloudy and cool. Northwest winds will blow at around 10 mph with gusts to 25 mph. The persistent wind and clouds will hold temperatures steady throughout the day.

The clouds should break up Saturday night, but how quickly they do so will influence how cold it gets. Frost will be possible, even in a cloudier scenario, with temperatures in the mid 30s to near 40 degrees. Low 30s or upper 20s become increasingly possible with a quicker clearing.

The sunshine may hold on for a good part of Sunday before clouds increase later in the day. Rain is not expected, but northeast and east winds will hold temperatures down.

Look for highs on Sunday to end up a degree or two on either side of 50.

Rain is very likely on Monday and the day could end up being a washout as a soaking, beneficial rain that will continue to help chip away at the drought. How much rain falls will be determined by the exact path of the low and is still a bit uncertain, though.

Temperatures should get a small boost on Monday with south winds ahead of the low, reaching the upper 50s to near 60 degrees. Behind the system, highs should settle near 50 for a couple days, then remain in the 40s for the foreseeable future.

Another weather system should also move through sometime during the second half of next week with more rain.

FLX Weather Improvements

I am always striving to make FLX Weather the best it possibly can be. For years, I have slowly built up my service offerings. Funding has always been the biggest obstacle to turning ideas into reality.

Last night, the new FLX Weather App was submitted to the App Store for approval. Once approved, it will be tested for a couple of weeks, but by December, it should be ready for public use. This has been a long requested feature that I am thrilled to finally be able to offer.

I would also love to be rid of the non-local ads, both here on the website and on the app. These ads have been a necessary revenue generator but have several drawbacks. I am ready to break that chain and move on from them for an increased user experience.

Lastly, fiscal responsibility is extremely important to me. With the Spring 2019 Fund Drive, just enough funds were collected to keep Finger Lakes Weather going. However, with a loss in clientele, local advertisers, and monthly donors during the COVID-19 pandemic, I have had to rely on my reserves to continue services and improvements.

The Fall 2020 Fund Drive is looking for new or increased monthly donations from 100 users. This would allow me to continue supporting the new app, remove the intrusive, non-local ads, and bring FLX Weather back into financial stability.

Raising funds is my least favorite part of Finger Lakes Weather, but it is far better than violating my core principle of accessibility by charging a fee. I cannot promise that, if successful, this will be the final Fund Drive ever, but reaching 100 donors would certainly decrease the need for another Fund Drive anytime soon!

Please, if you are able, visit the Fund Drive Page and make your pledge to keep FLX Weather going strong and growing better! Thank you for your generosity!

More Forecast Information:

» Finger Lakes Weather Radar

» Zip Code Forecasts

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.

2 Responses

  1. Amy
    |

    I’d just like to confirm that my donation is set for monthly thank

    • Meteorologist Drew Montreuil
      |

      Yes, it is, Amy! Thank you!