Warming Weather
Mother Nature will remind the area today that it is still March, with scattered snow showers and a few heavier bursts of snow.
A small disturbance in the atmosphere will slowly work through the region today. Snow showers are already numerous across the area and will continue off and on through the daytime hours.
As individual batches of snow pass through, visibility will drop and a light coating of snow will accumulate on grassy and other cold surfaces. Roadways will remain just wet, except perhaps some higher elevation, lesser traveled roads.
Between snow showers, much of what accumulates will melt and some brief breaks of sun will be possible.
This cycle will repeat itself several times today for most areas. Morning snow showers will be more numerous, but afternoon snow showers will have a greater chance of being briefly heavy.
Most areas will remain in the mid and upper 30s today with a few of the typically warmer urban and valley locations topping out near 40 degrees.
Winds will be from the northwest, increasing to near 15 mph by the afternoon. A few localized gusts may go over 30 mph.
A few lingering flurries will be possible early this evening before skies clear overnight. Winds will become more westerly with speeds dropping to around 5 mph.
Overnight lows will be in the mid 20s, but abundant sunshine will help temperatures rise steadily on Thursday. Afternoon highs should top out in the 45-50 degree range with a few warmer pockets in the low 50s.
West winds will turn more to the southwest late Thursday with an increase in wind speed. Some scattered thin clouds will also start to build in.
Another small disturbance will bring some scattered rain and snow showers Thursday night with temperatures falling to the low 30s. These should exit the area before sunrise.
Friday will have a mix of sun and clouds, but overall will be cloudier than Thursday.
A frontal boundary will start to set up over the region, with temperatures varying from north to south. Areas north of the Thruway may stick to the mid 40s, while parts of the Southern Tier may flirt with upper 50s.
Weather This Weekend, Next Week
The frontal boundary should move north Friday night as low pressure approaches from the west.
Some scattered showers will be possible overnight and into Saturday, but most of the daytime hours should remain dry. Northern areas will have the highest chance of seeing rain.
Temperatures will make a significant jump as long as the front lifts north of the region. Many areas have a shot at seeing at least 70 degrees, though the chances will drop off closer to Lake Ontario.
If the front is further south, however, the chances for rain would increase and a sharp drop in temperature would be possible over northern areas.
Sunday looks cloudy with showers, which should hold temperatures back a bit. Again, though, as long as the front stays north, it will be mild. Highs in the 60s would be a good bet.
A cold front will move through on Monday, but the timing will determine how warm it is ahead of the front. Some showers and thunderstorms will be possible with the frontal passage, along with a sharp drop in temperature.
Tuesday looks quiet but much cooler, on par with today with highs mainly staying under 40 degrees.
The models become chaotic beyond that, with some showing snow and others pushing toward 80 degrees. The truth will likely end up somewhere between those extremes, but even that is a very large window that is impossible to pinpoint at this time.
More Information:
» Finger Lakes Weather Radar
» Zip Code Forecasts
» Get the FLX Weather Mobile App
This graphic represents an average over the entire Finger Lakes region. Localized variations should be expected.
Margie Campaigne
Dear Drew,
I am on the board of our local Sierra Club Rochester Regional Group. We have an abundance of special funds we can only use for educational purposes. One event I am pursuing is having a group presentation on various aspects of climate change. It may include a panel discussion. We had Dr. James Hansen himself do a presentation at MCC a few years ago, and it was an overflow crowd!
I know you are not a climatologist, and that’s good. We’d be seeking members of the community with tangential knowledge who could speak to various aspects and effects of climate change. I am hoping you would be interested. This is all in the formative stages so there are no other particulars at this time, except that we do want to pay our presenters. Thanks for your consideration.