I’m keeping a close eye on a moist, unsettled airmass that’s making this Wednesday feel more oppressive than the morning forecast fully conveyed — light drizzle in Geneva and dense drizzle in Canandaigua were a bit of a surprise for midday, even as southern parts of the region like Watkins Glen and Ithaca are sitting partly cloudy in the mid-80s.
No NWS alerts are active right now, but that may change. The Buffalo forecast office is signaling that heat index values could reach the mid-to-upper 90s Thursday and Friday as a ridge builds overhead — heat headlines are explicitly on the table for some locations.
This afternoon, scattered showers and a few embedded thunderstorms remain possible regionwide through early evening, with highs topping out near 84° in Geneva and Auburn, and closer to 87–88° in the southern valleys. Overnight lows stay warm and muggy, holding in the upper 60s.
Thursday and Friday are the days to watch — building heat, rising humidity, and continued storm chances before a cold front sweeps through this weekend and brings noticeably cooler, more comfortable conditions by Sunday.
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.