Cool Thursday, but warmer weather will be quick to return

finger lakes weather forecast thursday march 30 2023 sunny cool
Sunshine will be abundant today, but periods of rain will be possible Friday and Saturday as temperatures rise. [Photo by Gwen Moshier]

Thursday-Friday Weather

High pressure is building into the Finger Lakes this morning behind the squall-producing cold front that moved through late Wednesday.

Most of the region is starting off with clear skies, but there are also a few areas of lake effect clouds and even a few snow showers over the eastern Finger Lakes. These are very isolated in nature and will dissipate through the morning hours.

Sunshine will be abundant outside of this limited lake effect and throughout the whole region this afternoon. Northwest winds will blow throughout the day, with gusts of 20-25 mph this morning, weakening to 15-20 mph during the afternoon.

High temperatures today will generally be near or just below 40 degrees. Most places probably will not make it all the way to 40 degrees.

Winds will go calm for a time this evening and temperatures will quickly fall to their lows in the mid 20s. By the late evening, clouds will begin to increase and winds will turn southerly. Temperatures will rise overnight, reaching the low and mid 30s for most areas by sunrise.

A small area of precipitation will move across the area during the hours around sunrise Friday. Most of this will be light and fall as rain, but some snow or ice may mix in for some of the colder pockets, particularly in the complex terrain of the eastern half of the region.

Temperatures will quickly rise into the 40s behind this precipitation with a lull of several hours before the next batch of rain moves in. This second area of rain will arrive during the midday hours and will last several hours during the afternoon. The rain will be widespread but should not be overly heavy.

The presence of the rain will hold temperatures to mostly the mid 40s during the daytime hours, but temperatures should gradually nose their way upward Friday night thanks to increasing south winds.

Additional rounds of rain, including some localized downpours and maybe a rumble of thunder, will be possible between midnight Friday and Saturday morning. Winds gusts may start to reach 30 mph over higher elevations after midnight Friday night, still coming in from the south.

finger lakes weather 7-day forecast thu mar 30 | thur, becoming mostly sunny upper 30 | fri, rain, especially pm mid 40 | sat, windy periods of rain mid 60 | sun, sun and clouds upper 30 | mon, a few showers low 60 | tues, a few showers low 60 | wed, showers and t-storms low 70
This graphic represents an average over the entire Finger Lakes region. Localized variations should be expected. Click to enlarge.

Weather This Weekend and Next Week

Rain may linger into early Saturday morning before another lull moves in. Some breaks of sunshine will be possible during the later morning into the early afternoon.

Strong southwest winds will gust as high as 40 mph, helping propel temperatures into the mid 60s. Dewpoints will be relatively low in the 40s and 50s.

The lower dewpoints should make true thunderstorms harder to come by, but a line of heavy rain, gusty winds, and the occasional clap of thunder will still be possible at some point during the afternoon. Still, any storms that develop could bring some localized wind damage, similar to what the area saw yesterday with the snow squall, when there were multiple reports of downed trees.

Temperatures will drive into the 40s behind this band and will continue to fall through the 30s during the evening and into the low and mid 20s overnight. West and northwest winds will gust to 30 mph Saturday night, bringing in cooler air.

Sunday looks very similar to the weather today. Sunshine should be plentiful, though a few morning clouds and maybe a flurry cannot be ruled out. A few thin clouds should also arrive later in the day. Daytime highs will be chilly in the upper 30s to near 40 degrees.

As quickly as the cold air arrives, it will depart, thanks to south winds returning by Monday morning. Like tonight, temperatures will initially drop to the mid 20s Sunday evening, only to rise into the 30s by dawn. High temperatures on Monday should jump all the way back to the low 60s.

Wind gusts on Monday will be around 30 mph, with slightly higher gusts at higher elevations. A few rain showers may move in, especially during the afternoon. Much of the day will be dry, though.

Warm air is expected to stick around for Tuesday, though cooler air sneaking back in remains a slight possibility. Rain showers will be possible, which could also knock temperatures back a bit. For now, though, I’ve kept the rain showers scattered and highs in the low 60s.

Another spring weather system will impact the area on Wednesday. More warm air will surge into the region and there is a fairly decent shot at breaking into the 70s. Showers and thunderstorms will be possible, but it is too far out to be confident about the exact temperature and thunderstorm potential.

Temperatures should retreat for the latter part of next week, through next weekend, and into the following week. It will not be chilly, though, with daily highs likely between 45-55 degrees on average.

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finger lakes weather 7-day forecast thu mar 30 | thur, becoming mostly sunny upper 30 | fri, rain, especially pm mid 40 | sat, windy periods of rain mid 60 | sun, sun and clouds upper 30 | mon, a few showers low 60 | tues, a few showers low 60 | wed, showers and t-storms low 70
This graphic represents an average over the entire Finger Lakes region. Localized variations should be expected.

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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.