Cold front sends heavy rain across the Finger Lakes

Soggy Thursday

A slow moving cold front will gradually push through the Finger Lakes today with a band of heavy rain and a quick drop to cooler temperatures.

Already, rain is widespread throughout the western half of the Finger Lakes. Locally heavy downpours are embedded within the larger area of steady, moderate rainfall.

Out ahead of the rain, it remains blustery, with southeast winds expected to gust over 40 mph at times this morning. A few hilltops could see gusts approach 50 mph.

Temperatures ahead of the rain are in the upper 60s and low 70s. Areas that are toward the back edge of the rain are in the mid 50s.

Everything will slowly track eastward this morning and afternoon. The rain should reach the I-81 corridor by the mid to late morning. By the early afternoon, the back edge will be making steady progress through the western half of the region.

This afternoon, the band of rain will narrow but possibly intensify over the eastern half of the region. A few rumbles of thunder may even be possible. The rain should begin to exit through the mid and late afternoon hours, and by sunset, there should only be a few straggling showers in the Finger Lakes area.

Rain totals will generally be between one and two inches. There are some parts of the north-central Finger Lakes, such as Wayne, Ontario, and northern Seneca counties that may see a bit less due to a lower chance for downpours as the band narrows. On the flip side, downpours will be even more likely across the Southern Tier, so localized rain amounts over two inches will be possible.

The winds over the eastern Finger Lakes will die down as the rain enters the region. Temperatures will drop as well and most of the region should be around or just over 60 degrees by the mid afternoon. Some far western areas that see sunshine increase and have a few hours of daytime heating could warm back up to near 70.

Skies clear tonight and areas of fog will develop. Temperatures will fall into the 40s for the southern half of the region, with parts of the Southern Tier dropping to the mid 40s. To the north, expect overnight lows in the low 50s.

Behind the Front

Low pressure will remain to our northwest on Friday, but dry air will wrap around the low and into our region. This dry, cool air will be coming in on southwest winds, which may become blustery west of I-390.

Early morning sunshine will allow the sun to heat the ground with temperatures quickly rising through the 50s. It should not take too long for fair-weather clouds to bubble up, though the dryness of the atmosphere may put somewhat of a limit on the extent of these clouds.

High temperatures Friday will be in the mid 60s throughout the region. Temperatures Friday night will be similar to tonight, with mid and upper 40s across the south and low 50s to the north.

Saturday will see another mix of sun and clouds with temperatures climbing back into the low 70s. Some higher elevations may stick to the upper 60s. Clouds will thicken late in the day with some overnight showers as a small disturbance passes through.

Sunday will have morning lows mostly in the low to mid 50s thanks to the clouds and showers Saturday night. West winds will be on the blustery side with gusts of 25-35 mph. Cooler air will move in on these winds with highs in the mid 60s for most and low 60s for higher terrain.

Skies Sunday will be a mix of some sun and more clouds. Late in the day, a few showers will be possible, with a better chance for showers Sunday night and throughout Monday. Monday will be warmer than Sunday, but whether that means upper 60s or low to mid 70s is still a bit uncertain.

The rest of next week will have just low chances for some occasional spits of rain. No widespread or heavy rain is expected. Temperatures will remain suppressed with highs mostly between 60 and 65 degrees. Overnight lows will continue to be in the 40s to the south with low 50s to the north.

More Information:

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