Winter Weather Advisories
A large weather system will come at the Finger Lakes in two pieces today and tonight, bringing a mixture of wintry weather.
After some clear skies to start the day, clouds will quickly move in from the west this morning.
Conditions will stay dry through the early afternoon, but eventually some light snow will start to move into the region. At first, this snow will mainly fall across the northern half of the region, defined as about halfway between Lake Ontario and the Pennsylvania border.
By the evening, precipitation will expand and intensify. Snow will remain across the north, but a wintry mix of snow, sleet, freezing rain, and eventually plain rain will develop across the south.
This boundary will lift northward, reaching about the I-90 corridor by or shortly after midnight. For much of the overnight, the boundary will remain stationary before it starts to retreat to the southeast during the predawn hours Saturday.
Most of the precipitation will be plain rain or snow by Saturday morning, with snow continuing to take over from northwest to southeast. It may snow several hours after the changeover before ending.
There is some uncertainty about how quickly the snow will end for areas south and east of an approximate line from Elmira to Ithaca to Syracuse, and some light snow may linger into the afternoon there.
Travel conditions will deteriorate early this evening but will then improve across the southern half of the region as precipitation turns to plain rain. No improvement is expected from about Route 20 and I-90 northward, where precipitation is unlikely to make it over to just rain.
The greatest snow amounts will be along and north of I-90, where precipitation has the best chance for staying all snow. Total amounts of 3-7 inches, with some locally higher totals near Syracuse, will be possible for these northern areas.
Snow amounts will be less to the south, getting lighter and lighter the further south you go. Most of the accumulation here will take place early Saturday morning and should range between 1-4 inches.
Winds will be light from the east at about 5 mph through today and tonight. Winds will turn to the northwest early Saturday and increase to near 10 mph by the afternoon.
Temperatures will be variable across the region, as indicated by the varying precipitation types. Generally speaking, temperatures this afternoon will range through the 30s, with the warmest air in the south. Evening temperatures will drop to the 30-35 degree range, then rise a couple of degrees during the overnight.
Temperatures on Saturday will be warmest early in the morning, then will settle into the low 30s for the afternoon.
Leaving Winter Behind
High pressure will build in behind this weather system, bringing us some sunshine and warmer temperatures.
Sunday will not be much warmer yet, but the sun should be out in full force. Few, if any, clouds are expected throughout the day.
Winds will be light from the north, capping temperatures in the mid to perhaps upper 30s.
By Monday morning, winds will be out of the southeast and milder air will start to move in. Look for afternoon highs in the upper 40s and low 50s.
There will be some clouds on Monday, but they should mix with the sunshine rather than block it out.
Tuesday will be cloudier still, with some thin overcast building in. The sun may be able to filter through these clouds, especially early on in the day. The chance for some evening rain will need to be monitored.
High temperatures on Tuesday will be in the mid 50s.
A weather system will move through on Wednesday with on and off rain showers. Heavy precipitation is not expected. Temperatures should remain in the lower half of the 50s.
That system will move out by Thursday morning, leaving a mix of sun and clouds after a few lingering showers early on. Highs should again stick in the lower 50s.
The weather beyond that is uncertain, but a slight cool down looks possible late in the week before temperatures rebound for the start of April.
It remains too early for any eclipse weather forecasts for April 8th, but next week we may start to at least get a bit of a sense of the overall weather pattern that may be in place.
More Information:
» Finger Lakes Weather Radar
» Zip Code Forecasts
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This graphic represents an average over the entire Finger Lakes region. Localized variations should be expected. Stay Updated With Email Alerts
