Mid-Week Weather
A pair of weather systems will impact portions of the northeastern United States over the next few days, but much of the active weather will stay out of the Finger Lakes.
The first system today and tonight will be deflected south by high pressure still in control of our weather.
Clouds associated with the edge of this system have overtaken most of the area, though. The clouds are thinner the further north you go, which will remain the case much of today.
Winds will be gentle today, blowing in from the southwest at around 5 mph until becoming nearly calm late this afternoon. Eventually, an equally light north wind will develop.
Temperatures will see a modest increase over yesterday with upper 20s and low 30s for highs.
A few stray flurries off Lake Ontario will be possible overnight with no more than a localized coating. There should also be some breaks in the clouds, though.
Overnight lows will generally be in the mid 10s with some colder pockets, especially around Cortland County where some single digits will be possible.
Some light snow will move into the area Wednesday afternoon. Most areas will see under an inch, but the snow may be a bit heavier near Lake Ontario. The snow will transition to some scattered sleet in the evening.
Heavier precipitation from this second system will exist to our northwest over Canada and to the south and east across the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England. However, the path of the parent low is expected to pass overhead, bringing drier air through the area and limiting the precipitation.
Temperatures Wednesday will rise to the mid 30s, may dip a little late in the day, then will rise back to the mid 30s overnight.
Winds will be light during the day but will become strong from the southeast Wednesday night. Widespread gusts of 35-45 mpg will be possible, with gusts near or over 50 mph for the Bristol Hills and hills between Syracuse and Cortland.
The wind will subside for a time early Thursday before turning to the west and kicking back up for the afternoon with additional gusts near or over 40 mph.
Temperatures Thursday will rise to the low 40s during the morning and early afternoon with some scattered rain showers. Temperatures will drop later in the day, falling below freezing by evening.
Watching the Weekend
Cool air will continue to move back in Thursday night into Friday. Temperatures on Friday will start in the 10s and end up in the mid 20s.
There will likely be some lake effect around on Friday, especially in the morning and especially in the northeastern quadrant of the region. The Syracuse area, in particular, could see several inches of snow accumulation.
Winds will turn to the southeast by Friday evening, ending any lingering lake effect and signaling the approach of the next weather system.
Snow should move into the area by Saturday morning in response to warmer air approaching the region. Most of the day Saturday should have some light to moderate snow with most areas seeing an inch or two.
The wind will eventually end up from the due south, helping temperatures into the mid 30s. Some mixed precipitation or rain may end up becoming the dominant precipitation type by the evening and through the overnight.
The main part of this system will not arrive until Sunday, though. As low pressure strengthens, cold air will make a comeback. Heavy snow will develop on the backside of the low as a result.
There will likely be a sharp cut off between rain and snow which should progress eastward with time. However, the exact position of the low will determine where that line is and when it may pass through the Finger Lakes.
At this point, this is a wait and see situation for Sunday. There is the potential for heavy snow, but also a potential for mostly rain.
Winds will pick up behind this system, especially on Monday. Some scattered snow showers will be possible with cold temperatures only in the 10s.
Temperatures will take the rest of next week to slowly recover with highs in the mid 20s by the end of the week.
The models are also hinting at one more system late next week, but it remains far too early to be sure this will happen, or if it does, what we may see. The rest of next week looks generally quiet, though there will probably be some lake effect snow showers.
More Information:
» Finger Lakes Weather Radar
» Zip Code Forecasts
» Get the FLX Weather Mobile App
Keep updated with the latest on winter weather in the Finger Lakes! Signing up for email alerts will ensure you always get the latest information — Facebook and other social media channels pick and choose what you see and are thus not reliable for getting the most updated information!
This graphic represents an average over the entire Finger Lakes region. Localized variations should be expected. Don’t Miss an Important Update
Leave a Reply