Cloudy but quiet weather week ahead

Drizzle, Fog, & Flurries

Low level moisture left behind by yesterday’s snow maker and enhanced by the lakes is trapped beneath weak high pressure building in from the southwest.

This results in a favorable set up for fog, drizzle, some flurries, and plenty of cloud cover.

A weak north-northwest flow of air across both the Great Lakes and Cayuga and Seneca Lake will lead to some very light precipitation today, especially in higher elevations. The air within will probably not be cold enough for snow crystals to develop, though. Thus, most of what falls today will be drizzle, with fog also commonplace over higher elevations.

Temperatures will rise into the mid 30s for most areas today, but some hilltops may stick closer to the freezing mark. After sunset, temperatures will also dip to near or just below freezing.

This will lead to areas of freezing drizzle and freezing fog. Major travel complications are not expected, but some surprise slick spots will be possible on the roads, and especially driveways and sidewalks.

The best chance for snow to fall will come overnight and into early Tuesday. Again though, snow crystal formation is a question. Little to no snow accumulation is expected.

Winds will remain very light with speeds near or under 5 mph, coming from the north and northwest.

Tuesday will be more of the same with no change in the pattern. By Wednesday, the atmosphere will start to dry out, reducing the fog and drizzle, but not the cloud cover.

Weather Pattern Stuck

The weather map on Wednesday will look very similar to today. The low that brought Sunday’s snow will still be off the New England coast, with weak high pressure through the Mid-Atlantic and a stronger high over the Upper Midwest.

This will continue into Thursday before a weak low tracks through the Gulf States and exits to the Atlantic via the Carolinas. This will cause the high over the Midwest to retreat back toward the northern Plains.

Here in the Finger Lakes, the end result will be more clouds Thursday and Friday. With the Mid-west high strengthening, north winds will increase slightly, bringing temperatures down a few degrees. Look for highs near 30 on Thursday and in the upper 20s on Friday.

Our best chance for getting a little sun to shine will be on Saturday. Northwest winds will still be in place though, so the chances are not great, with only partial sunshine expected at best.

Temperatures will start to creep back upwards, with highs around 30 on Saturday and into the low 30s Sunday.

The weather pattern may become a bit more active next week, but a major change to the overall pattern is not expected. Temperatures will remain cool, but not cold, and both sunshine and precipitation will overall be scarce.

More Information:

» Finger Lakes Weather Radar

» Finger Lakes Weather Radar

» Zip Code Forecasts

» Your Forecast
This graphic represents an average over the entire Finger Lakes region. Localized variations should be expected.