Cold Air Reaches New Lows
Today and tonight will set new levels of cold so far this season.
A cold front will drop south across the region this morning, reinforcing the cold air. This front will also pick up some lake effect snow off Lake Ontario and bring it south as well.
So far this morning, the snow is contained to Wayne, northern Cayuga, and northern Onondaga counties. During the mid to late morning and midday hours, this band will be taken southward before it weakens and dissipates.
The result will be some snow bursts across the northern Finger Lakes that will briefly reduce visibility and coat grassy surfaces. A few slick spots on the roads are possible, but most roads should stay just wet.
As the snow band approaches the southern ends of the lakes, it will break up and lose intensity. Areas south of the ends of Cayuga and Seneca Lakes may only see a few flurries.
Some additional snow showers, mixing with or turning to rain at times, will be possible southeast of Lake Ontario through the afternoon.
Outside of the lake effect, some breaks of sun are possible. In fact, the roughly southwestern half of the region is starting out today mostly clear. Expect fair weather clouds to increase even in these areas this morning.
Winds behind the front will kick up from the northwest with speeds at or over 10 mph. Gusts may go as high as 30 mph.
Afternoon highs will mainly be a couple of degrees within 40 degrees, both above and below. A few urban valleys in the Southern Tier may flirt with 45 degrees.
Winds will turn to the west and southwest tonight, removing most of the lake effect and leading to areas of clear skies. Temperatures will bottom out with widespread mid 20s. Lake shore locations and the Syracuse metro area should stay in the upper 20s.
Not as Cold
Southwest winds will be steady on Thursday with speeds generally under 10 mph. Skies will be a mix of sun and clouds. A stray flurry cannot be ruled out early, coming off Lake Erie, but overall it should remain dry.
Temperatures will start a slow but steady climb, with afternoon highs making it back to the mid 40s.
Partly to mostly cloudy skies and a south wind near 10 mph will keep temperatures a bit warmer Thursday night as well. Look for overnight lows mainly in the lower half of the 30s, but with many areas on the upper end of that range.
Friday, too, should be dry. However, it is looking a bit cloudier than Thursday, with just a few breaks of sun here and there.
South and southwest winds will continue at around 10 mph, helping push highs into the low and mid 50s.
Saturday will have similar temperatures while Sunday is a couple of degrees warmer. Neither day looks overly sunny, but rain showers will likely be limited to some hit-or-miss activity. Unlike many of our recent weekends, it does not look like either day will be a washout this weekend.
A cold front will approach the area on Monday, but current expectations are for rain to hold off until late in the day. High temperatures, therefore, should be in the mid 50s as long as the rain does not arrive earlier.
Rain will continue into Tuesday but should taper off as the day goes on. Highs will be around 50 degrees.
By next Wednesday, temperatures will be back into the lower half of the 40s, where they are likely to remain for the rest of the week. Precipitation may be possible during this time but is too uncertain this far out.
More Information:
» Finger Lakes Weather Radar
» Zip Code Forecasts
» Get the FLX Weather Mobile App
This graphic represents an average over the entire Finger Lakes region. Localized variations should be expected.
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