After rain on Friday, cooler air will turn precipitation to snow showers Friday evening. On and off snow will then continue through the weekend and into early next week with the greatest chance for some minor but widespread accumulations coming during the day Sunday.
Friday
What: Periods of rain
Impacts: Wet roads, gusty winds
The primary batch of precipitation is moving through the Finger Lakes Friday morning. Most of this is falling as rain, but some mixed precipitation in a few isolated pockets remains possible. The rain will become more spotty during the afternoon, but will increase again late in the day as a cold front moves through.
Friday Night
What: Areas of snow
Impacts: Minor accumulations; A few snowy roads
Rain will turn to snow by the evening hours, but the snow will remain scattered. Areas north of the Thruway have the best chance for steadier snow overnight, and locally a couple inches could fall. Most areas should see no more than a coating to an inch. Temperatures tonight will be around the freezing mark, so some roads may get a little slick and snowy. Overall, travel impacts should be relatively low, though.
» For more details on Friday and Friday night, see the Friday Weather Planner post from Thursday evening.
Saturday
What: Flurries and squalls
Impacts: Minor accumulations; A few snowy roads
Lake effect snow will come and go on Saturday, sometimes getting a little extra boost from subtle areas of atmospheric energy. Temperatures should mainly be above freezing, which should keep most roads in good shape. Brief travel interruptions are possible with any squalls, especially on secondary and rural roads. Once again, areas north of the Thruway have the best chance for minor accumulations.
Sunday
What: Periods of widespread, steady snow
Impacts: Accumulations of 1-3 inches; A few snowy roads
Widespread snow is expected on Sunday, lasting throughout the day. Most areas should see between 1 and 3 inches of accumulation. Higher elevations will be more prone to the higher end of that range, while lower elevations will likely stay on the lower end. Daytime highs will be in the mid 30s, which should help keep most roads in decent shape. Secondary and rural roads may get snowy at times, depending on how they are treated and how well traveled they are. Winds will be variable from the north and east with speeds under 10 mph.
Monday
What: Lingering snow showers
Impacts: Little if any snow accumulation; A few snowy roads
Snow showers will linger over the area as a weak low pressure meanders across the region. Monday’s snow should be on and off with little accumulation. Temperatures will be a bit cooler and generally below freezing, so there may still be a few snowy roads.
Tuesday
What: A shot of cold; Flurries
Impacts: Cold wind chills; Little if any snow accumulation
Temperatures will start Tuesday well down into the 10s with afternoon highs in the low 20s at best. It will not be too windy, but wind chills may still dip below zero for a time Tuesday morning. Only scattered light snow showers are expected with little to no accumulation.
Tuesday Overnight into Wednesday
What: An area of snow
Impacts: Minor accumulations; Slightly snowy roads early
A weather system is expected to pass through sometime Tuesday night or early Wednesday. A quick inch or two of snow will be possible, which could have some impact on the morning commute. Details are still uncertain this far in advance, so check back for updates early next week.
Long Range
Temperatures should rise for the latter half of next week, but exactly how much is unclear. Highs in the 30s are most likely. The spread in possible temperatures increases further next weekend and into early March, reducing confidence even further. Likewise, precipitation is highly uncertain, but seems to favor the time period around next weekend or early the following week.
Climate Prediction Center forecasts for March that were released yesterday have our region in equal chances for both warm or cold and wet or dry conditions… which probably means a typical March where we see a little bit of everything thrown at us.
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