Helpful Rain
A small, slow moving low pressure system will move across the Finger Lakes region over the next 48 hours, bringing some relief from the dry weather.
Clouds ahead of this system are filtering into the region this morning. The overall trend will be for an increase and thickening of the clouds throughout the day.
Most areas will stay dry through sunset, though a few stray showers will start to pop up, especially west of Seneca Lake, during the late afternoon.
South winds will become established this morning with speeds around 10 mph during the midday and afternoon hours.
These winds will nudge temperatures upward, with highs in the mid and upper 70s and a few of the typically warmer spots hitting 80 degrees.
Rain showers will increase in both coverage and intensity through the evening hours. Overnight, the rain will be more widespread with heavier pockets. This will persist into Wednesday morning, possibly continuing well after sunrise.
Gradually, the rain will taper back to scattered light showers. These will linger through Wednesday night and into early Thursday before dry air brings an end to the rain by Thursday afternoon.
Widespread rain amounts of a half to one and a half inches are possible. Locally higher amounts in isolated areas could exceed two inches. This is most likely across the northern half of the region.
On the flip side, a few areas may not see half an inch. This is most likely in the western Southern Tier.
It is important to note that the weekly US Drought Monitor maps have a data cutoff of 8 AM Tuesday. None of this rain will be counted in this Thursday’s map update, therefore. Keep that in mind later this week when the flood of drought maps starts popping up on the internet.
While this rain will certainly help some of the short-term dryness, we will need more than a single event like this to reverse the course and make a lasting impact on the hydrology of the region.
Besides the rain, southerly winds will be a bit blustery tonight into early Wednesday. Gradually, the wind will turn lighter and more variable on Wednesday.
Temperatures tonight will average out around 60 degrees. Highs Wednesday will range from the low 70s in the west to the upper 60s in the east, with a few higher elevations only seeing mid 60s.
Late Week, Weekend Weather
Thursday will have northeast winds of 5-10 mph, influenced by the passing of Hurricane Erin off the Mid-Atlantic coast. Southeastern parts of the region may even see thin, high clouds on the very edge of Erin off to the southeast, though they are unlikely to make it overhead into the region.
Temperatures Thursday will start out in the mid 50s with afternoon highs in the mid 70s. Once the morning showers taper off, some sunshine should poke out for the afternoon.
Friday will be dry and mild with highs in the upper 70s and low 80s, despite a cool start in the low 50s. Skies will be a mix of sun and clouds with a light northerly breeze near or under 5 mph.
That breeze will turn to the south Friday night, keeping overnight lows in the upper 50s. Saturday has a good shot at reaching or exceeding 80 degrees for most of the region under partly cloudy skies. South winds will remain in place around 5 mph.
A cold front will arrive on Sunday with a chance for some scattered showers and storms. A few showers may linger into Monday morning as well. The chance for a few stronger storms will need to be monitored.
Temperatures will retreat with and behind the front. Highs Sunday will be in the upper 70s, followed by mid 70s on Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday may end up being the coolest days, with some areas possibly not reaching 70 degrees.
Mid 70s are most likely for the latter part of next week and into the Labor Day weekend. It is too early to tell what rain chances there may be.
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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