If you’ve got outdoor plans this morning, go for it — the region gets a window of dry weather to start the day. Temperatures are in the low-to-mid 40s across most of the Finger Lakes at sunrise, with Corning and Watkins Glen running a few degrees warmer near 48°. Skies are overcast throughout, and Corning is already seeing moderate drizzle as a surface boundary lingers along the Southern Tier.
That dry window closes by late afternoon. A potent shortwave diving across the upper Great Lakes is dragging a cold front toward the region, and the NWS Buffalo office expects showers to develop after 4 PM, with the best storm potential arriving during the evening hours. Some of those storms may carry enough punch — atmospheric energy in the 400–600 range and wind shear near 30 knots — to produce gusty winds and hail. It’s not a widespread severe outbreak, but keep an eye on the sky if you’re out Saturday evening. Highs will reach the low-to-mid 60s this afternoon: upper 60s near Canandaigua and Penn Yan, lower 60s near Corning and Auburn.
The front clears overnight, and Sunday through Tuesday looks considerably quieter and cooler. Frost is possible Monday night, so cover any tender plants before then. The Seneca River near Seneca Falls is running at nearly 2,500 cfs — notably elevated — so stay well clear of riverbanks during and after this evening’s rain. Another round of unsettled, rainy weather is expected Wednesday into Thursday.
Weather Center forecast for the Finger Lakes region. Sourced from NWS, Open-Meteo, NWS Area Forecast Discussion, and USGS stream-flow data. Updated 6 AM, noon, and 6 PM ET.