Windy with morning squalls and late lake effect

Late Week Cold

A cold front is moving through the Finger Lakes region this morning in association with a strong low passing to our north over Canada.

Scattered snow showers and squalls accompany the front, ahead of, behind, and along it. Some of these squalls will have the potential for the rapid onset of low to near zero visibility and quickly deteriorating road conditions.

Winds will increase and turn to the northwest with the passage of the front this morning. Peak winds will occur from the late morning through the afternoon. Wind speeds will be near 20 mph with gusts of 40-45 mph. A stray gust to 50 mph cannot be ruled out.

There will likely be a break in the snow during the midday and first half of the afternoon. During this time, there will still be a few snow showers about and wind will cause blowing and drifting, but heavy snow is unlikely.

Lake effect will start to pick up off Lake Ontario after 3 PM, gradually spreading south through the late afternoon. The heaviest snow will fall along and north of I-90 from Rochester to Syracuse, as well as into Cayuga, southern Onondaga, and northern Cortland counties.

Within these areas, the snow and wind will combine for another chance at near-zero visibility and difficult travel at times.

The lake effect will transition to a broader spray of lighter snow this evening, moving south into areas such as Seneca, Tompkins, and Tioga counties. This will continue into early Friday morning before dissipating.

Some localized enhancement of the snow bands by the Finger Lakes will be possible immediately south-southeast of the southern ends of the lakes, especially Cayuga Lake.

The highest snow totals from all of this will come from Wayne County, across northern Cayuga County, and into southern Onondaga County. An additional 4-8 inches will be possible in these areas.

Other areas mentioned above will see 1-4 inches, varying greatly from location to location.

Most areas not specifically mentioned above will see a coating to an inch, but locally perhaps two inches.

Winds throughout the night and into early Friday will still be blustery, coming from the northwest with gusts of 25-35 mph.

Temperatures will stay in the low and mid 30s this afternoon but drop to the mid and upper 10s and low 20 tonight.

Most of Friday will have just a few passing snow showers with much less impact and little, if any, accumulation.

Winds should substantially weaken by the afternoon with a high in the upper 20s and low 30s.

Milder Weather Awaits

Lake effect snow will kick back up Friday evening, but mainly for areas outside of the Finger Lakes. Extreme northern Cayuga and Onondaga counties may see some snow off Lake Ontario, and Allegany County may see some off Lake Erie.

These snows should continue into Saturday morning, locally putting down a couple inches. The rest of the region will be quiet with mixed skies.

Most areas will be at or above 20 degrees to start Saturday morning, with areas in and around Cortland County the main exception. Highs will range from the upper 20s in higher elevations to the mid 30s in the typically warmer areas.

Winds will turn to the southwest later Saturday, causing the snow bands to pivot north. This should spread a brief period of Lake Erie snow showers through the western Finger Lakes.

Temperatures will drop to the mid 20s Saturday evening, then rise to the low 30s by dawn Sunday. It won’t stop there, though, with highs pushing into the low and even mid 40s. Sunday should be quiet with clouds and some sun.

Rain will move in on Monday with showers for much of the day. Highs will be in the mid 40s. Tuesday will be warmer yet with highs around 50 degrees and a few showers.

Wednesday will become cooler with additional showers, which could turn to snow Wednesday night into Thursday.

A similar pattern looks like it will unfold, with cold air Friday and Saturday leading into a potential warming later next weekend and into the following week.

More Information:

» Finger Lakes Weather Radar

» Finger Lakes Weather Radar

» Zip Code Forecasts

» Your Forecast

» Get the FLX Weather Mobile App

This graphic represents an average over the entire Finger Lakes region. Localized variations should be expected.

Great Opportunity for Local Businesses!

Do you run a local business in the Finger Lakes? Consider sponsoring Finger Lakes Weather and gain new exposure to a captivated local audience.

Finger Lakes Weather has a limited opportunity for new sponsors, which play a vital role in funding my operations. With annual views of over 600,000, sponsors enjoy unparalleled cost-effective local reach. Sponsorship rates have remained unchanged for years, and many sponsors continue their support year after year.

For more information on the Sponsorship Program and to claim one of the limited number of available spots, check out the Sponsorship page right away!