My attention this morning is locked on the wind — Geneva is already reporting sustained southerly winds at 20 mph with light drizzle at 64°F, and the warnings posted overnight tell you this is just the warmup act. NWS Buffalo upgraded portions of the region to a High Wind Warning, active until 8:00 PM, while Wind Advisories from both Buffalo and Binghamton cover nearly the entire Finger Lakes footprint through this afternoon.
The culprit is an abnormally strong surface low tracking across the central Great Lakes and into southern Ontario, where it’s expected to stall through Friday. That setup is driving a powerful low-level jet into the region, pulling moisture and energy ahead of an associated cold front. Showers with embedded thunderstorms are already moving through this morning — heavy downpours are possible at times, and Auburn is seeing moderate drizzle at 6 AM. The cold front itself is expected to push through from mid-morning into early afternoon.
Highs today will reach the upper 70s to low 80s ahead of the front — Ithaca could touch 82°, Elmira near 80° — before temperatures ease behind the passage. Winds are the primary concern throughout the day, with gusts capable of causing tree damage and brief power outages. Scattered showers will persist into the evening even after the frontal passage.
Overnight lows settle near 63°F as skies gradually improve. Friday brings lingering drizzle with a high near 73°, then Saturday and Sunday turn quieter — mostly clear Saturday, a slight drizzle chance returns by Monday into Tuesday as another weak system approaches. Highs next week hold in the low 70s.
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.