As snow showers end Monday morning, attention turns to Wednesday’s snow

Monday-Tuesday Weather

Low pressure is centered over Cape Cod, Massachusetts this morning and will continue to push its way northeastward, away from the Finger Lakes.

The steady snow has departed the area, though some lingering snow showers remain in its wake. These light flurries will persist off and on throughout the morning hours before gradually coming to an end later this afternoon.

The extra snow showers are supported in part by Lake Ontario, with moist north-northwest winds coming across the lake waters.

Winds will be a bit blustery today, especially this afternoon, as they turn more northwesterly. Wind speeds will be at or just above 10 mph with gusts just under 30 mph.

Temperatures early this morning are in the upper 20s and low 30s and will only rise a few degrees today. Most locations will end up between 30-35 degrees this afternoon.

A few flurries will be possible tonight as winds shift to the southwest. No accumulation is expected. The turn to southwest winds will keep temperatures steady most of the night after an initial drop this evening. Most areas will be between 25-30 degrees, though a few lake shore locations may be a touch warmer.

A front will drop southeast toward the region on Tuesday but will dissipate as it does so. An associated band of snow will behave similarly during the morning hours. A few far northern and western areas could see a brief burst of moderate snow, but as of publication, the band is expected to dissipate before entering most of the Finger Lakes region.

Should this band hold itself together a little longer, it would likely enter the Finger Lakes during the mid-morning hours.

Winds will turn back to the northwest behind this front, with speeds of 10-15 mph, especially during the afternoon. Gusts will be around 30 mph. High temperatures will be in the low and mid 30s.

A small area of lake effect snow will be possible Tuesday night, mostly across Onondaga and northern Cayuga counties. Locally a couple of inches may fall before the band dissipates early Wednesday as winds turn to the southeast.

Wednesday Snow, Late Week Flurries

A strengthening area of low pressure will track from the Ohio River Valley to near Buffalo over the course of Wednesday. Meanwhile, high pressure over northern New England will supply cool air to our region.

This should make for a snowy day in the Finger Lakes on Wednesday.

Snow will break out from the south during the morning hours, though possibly not until after the morning rush.

The snow will quickly become steady, with moderate to, at times, heavy snowfall rates. It will snow through the afternoon before dry air wrapping around the center of low pressure cuts off the precipitation, or at least greatly reduces its intensity, by the evening hours.

Temperatures throughout the day will be near or below the freezing point of 32 degrees, so the snow will easily accumulate and will make travel sloppy.

It appears that there will not be much regional variability with this system, though localized differences in snow amounts are always a certainty. A widespread 3-6 inches throughout the Finger Lakes seems likely.

As the drier air works in Wednesday evening, temperatures will rise into the mid 30s. Any light precipitation still in the area will possibly mix with some rain or even a little sleet. Road conditions should improve with the warmer temperatures and lighter precipitation.

Mid 30s will persist through the night and into early Thursday, but as the low tracks towards northern New England, cold, blustery northwest winds will set up. Wind speeds will be closer to 15 mph with gusts as high as 35 mph.

The winds will cause temperatures to retreat into the upper 20s by the afternoon. Scattered snow showers will be likely with another inch or two of accumulation. Locally higher amounts will be possible near Lake Ontario.

Most of the area should dry out by Friday, but an organized band of lake effect snow will be possible across Wayne, northern Cayuga, and Onondaga counties. This remains uncertain and needs more time to be resolved.

Temperatures will remain cool on Friday with highs sticking mostly to the 20s. Slightly warmer air will then try to build in this weekend, with highs Saturday and Sunday pushing for the upper 30s. Both days will have light precipitation in the area.

As we close out January and head into February, a colder weather pattern is looking more likely. Daytime highs may end up in the 15-25 degree range, with nighttime temperatures dependent on cloud cover, as always.

More Information:

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

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