Strong Cold Front
After a night of strong winds and warming temperatures, a sharp cold front is moving into the Finger Lakes this morning.
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Out ahead of the actual front, an impressive rain band is making its way east. The actual front is further west, though, lagging the heavy rain by an hour or so.
Once the front arrives, temperatures will quickly fall from the 50s to the 40s, then the 40s to the 30s. This transition should happen in about an hour or two.
However, temperatures are not expected to immediately drop below freezing, so a flash-freeze on the roadways is not expected.
Still, rain may briefly turn to snow before ending. Grassy surfaces may see a light coating, but roadways will remain just wet.
Winds will temporarily become light with the frontal passage. However, this afternoon, they will kick right back up, this time from the west. Wind speeds will be around 20 mph with gusts of 35-45 mph widespread and locally to 50 mph.
As cold air continues to move in and temperatures slowly continue to fall, lake effect snow will develop. With a westerly flow, Lake Erie will be the main source of snow for the Finger Lakes.
The strong winds will carry the snow far inland across the region in the form of on and off flurries and squalls. This will lead to rapid changes in weather conditions through the afternoon.
The western Southern Tier will be the first to drop below freezing early this afternoon. The rest of the region will do so during the mid to late afternoon. Road conditions will become more questionable as the sun sets and occasional squalls continue.
Evening winds will turn to the northwest, removing Lake Erie snow and introducing Lake Ontario snow. However, the winds will shift again overnight, turning back to the south, removing the snow from the area before sunrise.
Wind speeds will remain strong through midnight, but will become much lighter overnight as they turn southerly.
Snow amounts will be highly variable today, but generally minimal. Many areas will see less than an inch, while the highest amounts will likely be on the order of a couple inches.
Weekend Weather, Christmas Week Forecast
Temperatures Saturday morning will start out in the low and mid 20s. A few cold pockets will slip under 20 degrees.
Saturday will be cloudy, but little to no precipitation is expected. South winds will persist, pushing afternoon highs into the mid 30s.
The wind will be light most of the day but will pick up some steam late in the afternoon. A few gusts over 30 mph will be possible over higher elevations.
Temperatures will remain in the mid 30s through Saturday night. A few snow showers may be possible in the predawn hours as another cold front moves through.
This will set up another chance for flurries and squalls Sunday, especially during the midday and afternoon hours. Like today, overall accumulations should be limited, but weather and travel conditions may change rapidly.
Winds will be from the west-northwest and northwest. Gusts over 30 mph are likely, but should generally not get over 40 mph.
Temperatures will drop on Sunday, reaching the upper 20s by the afternoon and falling to the upper 10s Sunday night.
Once again, southerly flow will be quick to return. Monday looks partly cloudy with highs in the low 30s. Monday night will have little drop in the temperature.
Tuesday morning may have some snow, but the afternoon should warm well into the 30s with some spits of rain.
Christmas Eve on Wednesday looks dry with a mix of sun and clouds. Temperatures should remain in the 30s, but may jump well into the 40s for Christmas on Thursday.
Despite the cold, snowy first half of December, a White Christmas doesn’t look very likely this year. On the bright side, holiday travel is looking smooth and easy going.
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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