The longest day of the year is arriving with a pleasant surprise — clear to mainly clear skies and temperatures in the mid-to-upper 50s across nearly the entire Finger Lakes region this morning, a solid start to the summer solstice. From there, today gets more interesting as the afternoon unfolds.
Expect a comfortable morning with westerly winds around 10–12 mph and highs climbing into the low-to-mid 70s by early afternoon. Geneva, Auburn, and Canandaigua should top out near 73°, while Ithaca, Watkins Glen, Corning, and Elmira push a bit warmer toward 75–76°. The beach hazards statement along Lake Ontario shores — covering northern Cayuga and Wayne counties — expires at 8 AM, so that concern clears out early.
The afternoon is where a little uncertainty creeps in. A passing shortwave disturbance tracking through the region between roughly 2 and 8 PM could spark scattered showers, with the best chance across southern portions of the region. The combination of daytime heating and that disturbance gives the Corning and Elmira valleys a small window for a thundershower — nothing severe is expected, but a brief downpour is possible. The probability remains modest; most of the region stays dry.
Evening skies quiet back down, with temperatures easing into the low 60s after sunset around 8:49 PM. Overnight lows settle near 54–57°F under mostly clear conditions.
Looking ahead: Sunday brings another spotty shower chance, then a more organized area of low pressure tracks out of the Ohio Valley Sunday night, pushing a broader swath of rain into the region through Monday. Tuesday looks drier, with highs rebounding to the mid-70s. Another round of showers is possible by Thursday into the weekend.
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.