Fog is the story at daybreak this Friday — sitting at 60° here at the Weather Center in Geneva under mainly clear skies, but a quick look south tells a different story: Corning, Elmira, and Bath are all socked in at saturation, with humidity at or near 100 percent and fog limiting visibility in the valleys. That’s a lingering signature from overnight moisture in the wake of early-morning storms that have since pushed east toward Lake Ontario.
The good news: NWS Buffalo expects the fog to dissipate within a few hours of sunrise — which came at 5:31 this morning — so most areas should be clear by 9 or 10 AM. Once that low stratus lifts, today shapes up nicely. Skies turn partly sunny through midday, with highs climbing to near 76° in Geneva and Canandaigua, and touching the low 80s in Ithaca and Watkins Glen, where the deeper valley topography squeezes out a few extra degrees of afternoon warmth. The forecast technically carries a 5 percent drizzle chance, but that’s residual — expect a comfortable afternoon with a light south breeze staying well under 10 mph.
For those heading to Watkins Glen International today for the opening day of IMSA WeatherTech weekend, conditions look workable: fog clears early, practice and qualifying should run under partly cloudy skies, and temperatures stay in the upper 70s to low 80s. Route 14 traffic builds through the morning — plan accordingly.
Evening stays mild near 68° with clearing skies. Overnight lows settle near 60°, comfortable with no fog concerns until the weekend pattern resets.
Looking ahead: Saturday and Sunday carry the IMSA race weekend into continued good weather — partly cloudy skies, highs near 78° Saturday and 81° Sunday for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen. Drivers and fans couldn’t ask for much better. Then the pattern shifts significantly: a warming trend builds into next week, with highs jumping to 86° Monday, then 91° Tuesday and 94° Wednesday — with thunderstorms possible each of those days. The NWS Buffalo office is already flagging the potential for heat-related headlines as heat and humidity increase toward the middle of next week. Worth watching.
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.