Every town in the southern Finger Lakes is already pushing 92 to 93 degrees before noon — and the afternoon heating isn’t done yet. Watkins Glen, Elmira, and Corning are all touching or crossing 93°F right now, with forecast highs of 94 to 95° still in reach. An Extreme Heat Warning from NWS Binghamton covers Schuyler, Steuben, Chemung, Tompkins, and Yates counties through 8:00 PM tonight; a Heat Advisory from NWS Buffalo covers Ontario and the northern Cayuga corridor through the same hour. Heat index values are peaking in the 98-to-102 range this afternoon as the ridge flattens and its core shifts south.
The good news: relief is coming, just not quite yet. A weak cold frontal boundary starts nudging through tonight, with showers and possibly a thunderstorm or two possible after sunset. Independence Day Saturday brings highs near 84° with a 38% chance of rain — a genuine improvement in temperature, but keep an umbrella handy for any cookouts or fireworks plans. Lows both tonight and Saturday night 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.