Low Pulls Away
Snow showers are widespread throughout the Finger Lakes this morning, with mainly minor accumulations resulting.
The snow is associated with the same low pressure system that brought the heavy rain Sunday Night into Monday morning. This low will be pushed away today by high pressure building into the Ohio River Valley.
The low will not easily yield, however, so it will take some time for the high to truly take over our weather.
First to go will be the snow. Snow showers will gradually end from west to east this morning, with just a few lingering flurries southeast of Lake Ontario during the early afternoon hours.
Clouds will be tougher to get rid of, and many areas will stay overcast until after sunset. Still, some western areas could clear out enough for a decent sunset.
Northwest winds will increase between these two opposite pressure systems as the butt up against one another. Wind speeds will approach 15 mph with gusts to 35 mph.
The winds, combined with the persistent clouds, will hold temperatures nearly steady throughout the day. Many areas will struggle to get above 30 degrees, with the wind chill making it feel even cooler.
Everything changes this evening as the high takes over. Skies will clear, winds will turn to the southwest, and temperatures will only lose a handful of degrees overnight. Lows Wednesday morning will mostly be between 20-25 degrees.
Wednesday will be sunny and dry with light winds. Southwest winds will persist for the morning but will turn to the northwest during the afternoon. Still, afternoon highs should be around 40 degrees.
A subtle front will drop southeast across the area Wednesday night. This frontal passage will mainly be dry, but some limited lake effect may develop southwest of Lake Ontario in its wake, mainly for areas west of Seneca Lake, as winds turn to the northeast.
Late Week and Christmas Weather
North and northeast winds will persist on Thursday, bringing cool air back into the region. Lake effect clouds and a few flurries will persist over the western half of the region, while the eastern half remains sunny. Temperatures on Thursday will dip again with highs mainly in the low 30s.
Winds will become unfavorable for any lake effect Thursday night, leading to clear skies for at least the evening hours. Some thin clouds may build in well after midnight, but it will be too late to prevent a cold night. Expect temperatures in the upper 10s and low 20s to start out Friday morning.
Friday will see more of those thin clouds, but there should still be a fair amount of sun shining through them. Winds will be light from the southeast, leading to a small increase in temperatures with highs in the mid 30s.
A few showers may slide through on Saturday, but this remains uncertain, and it very well may remain dry. Regardless of any precipitation, it should at least be a bit cloudier. It will also be warmer thanks to south winds taking over with a high in the low 40s.
Temperatures will continue to rise on Sunday with light south winds and lots of sunshine. Look for highs in the mid 40s.
Christmas Day on Monday will also start out sunny, but some late clouds may slide in. Morning lows will start in the low 30s and afternoon highs will be in the upper 40s. While far from a White Christmas, the weather will be great for travel.
Unsettled weather will become possible in the days following Christmas, with precipitation on the models starting to focus on Wednesday and Thursday. Cooler air should eventually build in behind this for the final days of 2023.
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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