Increasing sun and temperatures today, some rain showers tomorrow

finger lakes weather forecast thursday janaury 8 2026 various cloud types mix with blue sky above a dry road extending to the horizon on the left side of the image flanked by lightly snow covered fields.
Temperatures will warm to the 40s for most today. Tomorrow will be warmer, though with some rain showers and blustery winds. [Photo by Gwen Moshier]
Quick moving weather systems, both high and low pressures, will keep the day-to-day weather variable, but with generally minor impacts.

Thursday

What: Increasing sun, temperatures

Impacts: None

High pressure will pass through the area today, leading to quiet weather conditions. Low-level moisture will gradually erode away this morning and a fair amount of sunshine should take its place through the afternoon.

Winds will be southerly today, but light, with speeds generally at or under 5 mph. Afternoon highs will be between 40-45 degrees for most areas. A few hilltops east of Cayuga Lake may stick to the upper 30s, while parts of the Genesee Valley may get above 45 degrees.

Temperatures will drop to the mid and upper 30s this evening, then rise again overnight as clouds and southerly winds increase. By Friday morning, temperatures will be similar to this afternoon and winds will be gusting over 40 mph over some higher elevations.

 

Friday

What: Blustery winds, a few rain showers

Impacts: Minor

South winds will peak during the morning hours. Again, the highest gusts will be over the higher elevations, possibly reaching 50 mph in localized instances. Most areas will see top gusts between 35-45 mph. Wind speeds will be slightly less in the afternoon as they turn to the west with a cold front.

Scattered rain showers are also likely with the cold front. Most of this rain will be brief and light and a few areas may miss out altogether.

Temperatures will be variable, ranging from the mid 50s near Rochester and into the Genesee Valley down to the mid 40s for many areas east of Cayuga Lake. Highs in the upper 40s to near 50 degrees will be most common.

 

finger lakes weather 7-day forecast thu jan 8 | thur, clouds giving way to sun low 40 | fri, a few showers upper 40 | sat, afternoon rain showers upper 30 | sun, some afternoon snow low 30 | mon, mostly cloudy mid 30 | tues, clouds, some sun upper 30 | wed, a few rain showers upper 30
This graphic represents an average over the entire Finger Lakes region. Localized variations should be expected. Click to enlarge.

Saturday

What: More rain showers

Impacts: None-Minor

A new weather system will develop over the Ohio Valley on Saturday and lift north toward Ontario, Canada. Southeast winds and clouds will be in place to start Saturday in response to this developing low.

Rain will then move in from the south during the afternoon. However, the steadiest and heaviest rainfall is expected to remain both east and west of the Finger Lakes. More details on the timing and extent of the rain will be available tomorrow.

Winds Saturday will be relatively light with speeds topping out around 10 mph. Temperatures will change little during the day, with lows in the low and mid 30s and highs in the upper 30s.

 

Sunday

What: Breezy, late snow showers

Impacts: Minor

The same low pressure will track eastward across Canada, passing to our north on Sunday. Most of the day will be dry, but the chances for snow showers will increase during the afternoon and evening. Most of the snow will concentrate along a cold front late in the day, but some snow showers off Lake Erie will also be possible with west winds in place.

Little if any overall accumulation is expected, but the potential for some brief, squally weather with the cold front will need to be monitored.

Wind speeds may exceed 15 mph at times, particularly in the early evening with the frontal passage as they turn to the northwest.

Temperatures Sunday hover in the low to mid 30s, gradually losing a couple degrees over the course of the day.

 

Monday-Tuesday

What: Dry weather

Impacts: None

High pressure will keep the area quiet early next week. While Monday will be cloudy, some sun will be possible on Tuesday. Afternoon temperatures will be in the mid and upper 30s, respectively.

 

Late Next Week & Beyond

The weather should become a bit more active late in the week. Details are too uncertain to make much out at this time, though. Temperatures should cool down and could become rather chilly the following week.

 

Formatting Note:

I removed the “where” field from the forecast summaries for periods where the weather is generally the same everywhere. I will continue to break down specific locations in more detail when necessary.

More Information:

» Finger Lakes Weather Radar

» Finger Lakes Weather Radar

» Zip Code Forecasts

» Your Forecast

» Get the FLX Weather Mobile App

finger lakes weather 7-day forecast thu jan 8 | thur, clouds giving way to sun low 40 | fri, a few showers upper 40 | sat, afternoon rain showers upper 30 | sun, some afternoon snow low 30 | mon, mostly cloudy mid 30 | tues, clouds, some sun upper 30 | wed, a few rain showers upper 30
This graphic represents an average over the entire Finger Lakes region. Localized variations should be expected.

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Follow Meteorologist Drew Montreuil:
Meteorologist Drew Montreuil has been forecasting the weather in the Finger Lakes region since 2006 and has degrees in meteorology from SUNY Oswego (B.S. with Honors) and Cornell (M.S.). Drew and his wife have four young boys. When not working or playing with the boys, he is probably out for a run through the countryside.

2 Responses

  1. Jane Russell
    | Reply

    Drew,
    The new format works well….Thank you

  2. Juliette Corazón
    | Reply

    Hi Drew,
    I really like the new format!

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