Sun, Clouds, and Showers
The weather pattern over the next several days will be characterized by a few small weather disturbances and areas of lake effect rain showers.
One such disturbance moved through early this morning, and a few areas of showers still linger. Overall, the trend will be for fewer showers through the morning and an increase in sunny breaks between clouds.
Winds will become blustery once again with speeds near 15 mph and gusts around 30 mph. These winds will be coming from the southwest, but will be cool, not warm winds.
With the southwesterly flow, most of the lake effect rain today will remain over western New York. Only a few stray showers are expected for most of the day, mainly in the northwestern quadrant of the region.
Afternoon highs will mainly be between 50-55 degrees. West of I-390, highs will stick to the mid and upper 40s.
Later today and into tonight, the lake effect may start to shift position, leading to an increased chance for some scattered showers.
By the early morning hours, westerly winds will take over with lake effect flowing due east of the Great Lakes, again mostly missing the Finger Lakes. A few showers, and perhaps even a few snowflakes, will be possible in the western Southern Tier.
Much of the region will stay near or slightly above 40 degrees tonight with pockets of 30s around Cortland County, and widespread mid and upper 30s from southwestern Steuben County westward.
Mainly quiet, albeit breezy weather will continue through Thursday morning and into the early afternoon. Another disturbance will pass through during the mid to late afternoon with some widespread shower activity.
Temperatures on Thursday will be similar to, but perhaps a degree or two cooler than today. Winds, from the west, will be strongest during the late morning and midday, with speeds matching today’s winds, followed by a gradual reduction in wind speed in the afternoon.
Lake effect and another disturbance will bring showers into the area on Friday as well. Of the next few days, there will probably be the least amount of sun and the most amount of rain on Friday.
Temperatures will start Friday ranging through the 30s. Again, a few snowflakes could mix in over the highest elevations very early in the morning. Afternoon highs will mainly be in the low 50s with upper 40s in higher elevations.
Winds, at last, will be lighter, coming in from the northwest at no more than 10 mph.
Weekend Weather and Next Week’s Forecast
High pressure will move into the region this weekend and early next week, bringing lighter winds and mostly quiet weather.
Both Saturday and Sunday may have a few early morning showers across the region off Lake Ontario. These showers should dissipate by the mid to late morning, leaving the afternoon with a mix of sun and clouds.
Winds will be light on both days, coming from the northwest on Saturday and north on Sunday. Wind speeds both days will be around or slightly above 5 mph with minimal gusting.
Dry weather will extend into Monday and likely Tuesday, with both days featuring a typical mix of sun and clouds.
Temperatures will remain cool, with Saturday seeing the coldest afternoon highs and early next week the coldest morning lows.
Saturday will start out with lows ranging from the low 30s in the Southern Tier and Central New York to the upper 30s along the lake shores. Afternoon highs will fail to reach 50 degrees for many areas at or above 1000 feet in elevation. Elsewhere, highs will be near or just above 50 degrees.
Sunday morning will be a few degrees cooler than Saturday morning. Lake shores and surrounding areas will be in the mid 30s, with widespread temperatures around 30 degrees across the Southern Tier and around Cortland County.
Sunday afternoon will see fewer areas failing to reach 50 degrees, though no one should expect to get warmer than about 55 degrees.
Even near-lake areas may dip into the low 30s Monday morning with widespread upper 20s and pockets of mid 20s in the typically cooler areas. Tuesday morning will have similar temperatures.
Afternoon highs Monday will be similar to Sunday, with a slight bump of a degree or two on Tuesday.
Temperatures will not change much throughout next week, with highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s.
A complex weather setup is expected late next week, which could bring us some meaningful weather, or perhaps nothing at all. It is too early to tell.
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.
Debra Finn
Thanks for you detailed weather reporting! Realize drought conditions are updated on Thursdays, but how do you feel conditions are? Still abnormally dry to moderately dry conditions in Cortland County?
Meteorologist Drew Montreuil
Hi Debra! Drought is a multi-faceted phenomena that has a lot more pieces than it would seem… but I am hopeful that tomorrow’s report will show some improvement across the area. Just across the county line to the west in Groton, I personally am not seeing much of a drought impact where I am with the grass still green and the soil soft.