Late Week Weather
An area of low pressure near Lake Erie this morning will continue to lift northeastward, eventually dragging a cold front through the area.
Temperatures have been on the rise overnight and will add several more degrees this morning. The daytime highs will come during the midday and early afternoon, with most areas near or above 40 degrees.
A batch of rain showers will pass through ahead of the low during the early and mid-morning hours. Precipitation should be harder to come by behind this area of rain, with just a few stray showers turning to flurries this afternoon.
Winds will be a bit lighter this morning compared to the overnight but will still gust to 30 mph at times from the south. This afternoon, winds will turn to the west-northwest and increase again with gusts of 35-45 mph.
Temperatures will start to drop once the wind shifts and should be nearing or already below 30 degrees by sunset.
Flurries this evening will transition to a period of brief squalls overnight. Not all areas will see these heavier snow showers. Lake effect will then consolidate across far northern Cayuga County into the Syracuse area during the predawn hours.
Snow will continue, heavy in some areas, near and north of Syracuse through the morning before lifting north Friday afternoon.
Elsewhere, Friday will be quiet with clouds and a few breaks of sun. Temperatures will start in the mid and upper 10s with a high in the mid 20s.
Active Weekend Weather
Another large, complex weather system will target our region this weekend. While Saturday’s weather is fairly straightforward, Sunday remains highly uncertain.
Flurries will move in on Saturday morning, transitioning to a steady and heavier snow Saturday afternoon. A widespread 2-4 inches is expected by Saturday evening, but there could be some locally higher amounts in the I-81 corridor, especially over higher elevations.
Daytime temperatures will climb to near 30 degrees and a few areas may make it to the freezing mark before the sun sets. Winds Saturday will be light.
Sunday’s weather will be active, but the path of the low pressure system will determine what we see.
If the path of the low is near, overhead, or to the west, our region will see mainly rain, especially Sunday morning.
The further southeast the track of the low goes, the increasing chances for meaningful winter weather.
For most areas, it will be a battle between rain and snow, but there could be a narrow corridor of freezing rain or mixed precipitation as well.
In the event the low passes far to the southeast across Pennsylvania and into southern New England, widespread heavy snow would be a possibility with significant accumulations. I expect this to be the least likely scenario, though I expect the models to start favoring it over the next day or so as they engage in their 3-day out south bias.
I cannot stress enough how sensitive our weather on Sunday is to slight variations in the track of this strong low pressure system. Continue to check back for updates.
Cold Next Week
Regardless of where the low ends up going, cold air will flood in behind Sunday night into Monday. Strong winds, cold temperatures, and snow showers are likely on Monday.
Temperatures will remain in the 10s throughout the day, but it will likely feel like it is below zero with the wind chill. Strong west winds will gust over 40 mph throughout the day.
Windy conditions will persist into Tuesday as well, though the winds will likely be a bit less intense than on Monday. Snow showers should be harder to come by as well.
Morning lows will only be in the single digits with daytime highs in the mid 10s. Similar temperatures are expected on Wednesday but with lighter winds and a few snow showers.
The weather late next week is uncertain as well. Some models have been hinting at another significant weather system, but it remains far too early to count on that panning out.
Temperatures should return to the 20s by the weekend with some 30s possible the following week, but no big thaws are in sight.
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. Don’t Miss an Important Update
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