I’ll be honest — this morning’s forecast underestimated just how warm it would get by noon. We were looking at highs near 88°, but the region is already touching the low 80s with hours of peak heating still ahead. No complaints from anyone looking to enjoy a Friday afternoon, but the calendar is about to flip hard.
Skies stay clear and sunny through the afternoon, with highs pushing into the mid-to-upper 80s — Geneva and Watkins Glen both flirting with 88°, Canandaigua likely topping out near 86°. Humidity is low enough to keep it comfortable, with dew points in the 50s and a light southerly breeze. Enjoy it.
The story changes overnight. Moisture pushes in ahead of a cold front dropping south out of Ontario and Quebec, and the NWS Buffalo office is flagging a real severe weather risk for Saturday. We’re talking the potential for locally heavy rain, strong winds, and hail — especially Saturday afternoon when the front and a pre-frontal trough interact with lake breeze boundaries. Ithaca and Auburn, inland from the lakes, may see the heaviest convective coverage.
Sunday drops back to the mid-60s with lingering drizzle, then a brief clearing Monday before the next unsettled stretch rolls in mid-to-late next week.
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.