The cold isn’t done with us yet. After a brutal Monday that barely pushed temperatures into the mid-to-upper 30s — some 15 to 20 degrees below normal for late April — tonight brings the real concern: a hard freeze. Clear skies, light winds, and a dry airmass are setting up ideal conditions for radiational cooling, and lows will likely fall into the mid-to-upper 20s across most of the Finger Lakes by early Tuesday morning. Southern Tier valleys and spots around Watkins Glen could see the coldest readings. Any tender plants or fruit blossoms left unprotected are at serious risk.
The good news arrives with Tuesday’s sunrise. A surface ridge sliding east will allow temperatures to climb back toward more seasonable levels, and a multi-day warming trend takes hold Wednesday through Friday with dry conditions expected throughout. After this rough stretch, a more typical April pattern finally looks to return.
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.