Weekend Weather Forecast
Another warm day is ahead for the Finger Lakes, but the day will end with an increasing chance for rain.
Mainly dry conditions are expected through the morning and first half of the afternoon, though there are a few isolated brief showers near Lake Ontario early this morning.
A mix of cloud layers will limit the sunshine somewhat, but not completely. The amount of available sunlight will gradually decrease throughout the day.
Light south winds will keep warm air locked in place, though the reduction of sunshine means it will not quite match yesterday’s temperatures. Look for highs mainly in the mid 70s with some pockets of both cooler and warmer temperatures.
By the mid-afternoon, scattered showers and a few thunderstorms will begin to develop over the western Finger Lakes and will move northeast through the region.
Thunderstorms will mainly move out by 6 or 7 PM, but additional scattered showers are likely through the evening.
Most areas will probably see at least some rain between the afternoon and evening hours, and some areas may see the rain last for a prolonged period of time, with only small breaks.
The rain will likely become more widespread overnight as a cold front approaches. Much of this may move out by Saturday morning, leaving a period of just stray showers after sunrise.
Temperatures will drop to the upper 50s tonight, then rise a few degrees during this morning lull. There may even be some sunshine breaking through the clouds.
During the midday and early afternoon, a few more showers and rumbles of thunder will pop up as the front moves through. These will be most likely east of Seneca Lake and should be brief.
Winds will turn to the west-northwest and increase during Saturday afternoon with gusts to 35 mph. Temperatures will likely fall back into the 50s during this time.
An area of rain associated directly with the low pressure system may spiral into the area Saturday evening and overnight, with lingering clouds and a few showers into Sunday morning. Some higher elevation snow may even mix in over the far eastern Finger Lakes if the timing and temperatures line up just right.
Any precipitation Sunday should end early, with clouds dissipating by the early afternoon. It should be a sunny end to the day with highs in the mid and upper 50s.
Northwest winds will be blustery in the morning, with a few gusts reaching 40 mph. Winds will drop during the afternoon.
Weather Next Week
Monday will pick up where Sunday left off with sunny skies beneath an area of high pressure.
Winds will be light from the northwest Monday morning with lows around 40 degrees. During the afternoon, winds will become calm as the high moves overhead.
Just losing the northerly flow will cause temperatures to jump to the upper 60s with the power of the late April sun.
For the last few days, I’ve been mentioning the thunderstorm potential for the middle of next week, at first focusing on Wednesday but then shifting earlier to late Tuesday.
The Storm Prediction Center is now picking up on this as well and has already included our area in their extended severe weather outlook period.
It is only a few times a year we get included in a Day 5 outlook, so that certainly increases confidence in the potential for some severe thunderstorms.
However, it is still days away, and subtle timing shifts could move the threat to nearby areas outside the region. This remains a wait and see situation, but by my next post on Monday morning, it will likely be the main focus of the early week weather discussion.
I may include an update Sunday afternoon if the setup looks particularly volatile.
The most likely scenario at this time is for a late day squall line with frequent lightning and strong winds, powered by afternoon highs around 80 degrees and dewpoints in the 60s.
Temperatures will be knocked back by the instigating cold front with highs Wednesday mainly in the upper 50s. Like Sunday, early showers will depart for afternoon sunshine.
Another weather system will make its way toward the area Thursday night into Friday, keeping skies mainly cloudy on Thursday. Temperatures should still make a rebound into the 60s.
Temperatures will remain a bit on the cool side next weekend with some additional showers possible.
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.
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