Scattered storms as heat continues Tuesday and Wednesday

finger lakes weather forecast tuesday may 21 2024 sun clouds hot humid thunderstorms
Temperatures will continue to rise today and tomorrow with some afternoon thunderstorms possible each day. [Photo by Ted Schiele, taken in Groton]

Summery Weather

High pressure along the Mid-Atlantic coast will continue to provide hot and increasingly humid air to the region.

Skies will be a mix of sun and clouds again today. Sometimes the clouds will be completely absent, other times there may be a thin layer of clouds filtering some of the sun. Many of the clouds today will end up being fair weather clouds that bubble up in the warm air.

The chances of precipitation will be near zero until the mid afternoon. Some scattered showers and a few thunderstorms may pop up during that time, only lasting a couple of hours. These will be triggered in part by a passing impulse of energy crossing southern Canada.

Exactly how many storms pop up and where they focus is questionable and will likely come down to micro-differences in the atmospheric conditions from one locale to another. Many areas will probably not see rain today.

Light south winds will blow throughout the day, helping push temperatures into the mid 80s for most areas. A few upper 80s are likely in areas like Syracuse, Dansville, and Elmira-Corning. Of course, sunny spots and car thermometers will likely read higher.

It will be another warm night with temperatures mainly sticking to the low and mid 60s. That will get Wednesday off to a running start and afternoon highs should generally eclipse today’s marks by a couple of degrees.

That will be enough for some of the aforementioned warmer cities to push 90 degrees, while the rest of the region sees mid and upper 80s. Dewpoints will be in the low and mid 60s, making it feel quite muggy.

Southwest winds to 10 mph will blow throughout the day. Skies will be a mix of sun and growing fair weather clouds.

This will set the stage for another chance for scattered showers and storms. These should be more widespread than today, and potentially more intense. However, I think the overall severe threat is pretty low and only very isolated areas will see some strong thunderstorm winds.

The thunderstorm threat will be greatest in the mid to late afternoon. There may be some areas that once again dodge the rain completely, though.

finger lakes weather 7-day forecast tue may 21 | tues, a few late storms mid 80 | wed, scattered afternoon storms upper 80 | thur, an early shower then sun upper 70 | fri, sun and clouds low 80 | sat, showers and t-storms upper 70 | sun, sun and clouds mid 70 | mon, morning rain low 70
This graphic represents an average over the entire Finger Lakes region. Localized variations should be expected. Click to enlarge.

Warm, but Not as Hot

A weak cold front will move through late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. There may be a few sunrise showers around on Thursday.

As the front clears the area, skies will also clear, and most of Thursday will turn out sunny.

Temperatures will be notably cooler than on Wednesday, but still plenty warm with highs in the upper 70s. Dewpoints will be much lower, falling into the 40s during the afternoon, resulting in relative humidity values under 40 percent.

Friday looks quiet with sun and fair weather clouds. Morning lows will start in the mid 50s with highs near or slightly above 80 degrees.

The forecast for Saturday has taken a stormier turn, but forecast confidence is low at this point. There are still models that keep the day dry. Temperatures will be influenced by the weather conditions but should remain at least well into the 70s.

Sunday is currently looking dry, though rain may push into the area during the nighttime hours as another weather system passes by. Highs will likely be cooler than Saturday by a couple of degrees.

Morning rain will be possible on Monday, but there is some hope for drier weather during the afternoon. Temperatures will be cooler in the low 70s. If more of the day turns out rainy, those temperatures may stick to the 60s.

As a whole, next week looks cooler and unsettled, with many chances for rain and few chances for highs above 75 degrees. Nighttime temperatures should remain in the upper half of the 40s and lower half of the 50s.

More Information:

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finger lakes weather 7-day forecast tue may 21 | tues, a few late storms mid 80 | wed, scattered afternoon storms upper 80 | thur, an early shower then sun upper 70 | fri, sun and clouds low 80 | sat, showers and t-storms upper 70 | sun, sun and clouds mid 70 | mon, morning rain 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.

2 Responses

  1. Margie Campaigne
    |

    Thank you for having this detailed forecast every day. The weather ap that comes on my laptop is too often wrong. I can count on you!

    • Meteorologist Drew Montreuil
      |

      Always glad to help 🙂