Residents across the Finger Lakes and Central New York should expect a wintry and unsettled weekend, with multiple rounds of snow showers and minor accumulations, according to the National Weather Service.
Light lake effect snow and flurries continue early Friday, particularly near the New York Thruway corridor and southeast of Lake Ontario. Additional accumulations through midday Friday are expected to be light for most areas, though parts of northeast Wayne, northern Cayuga and southwest Oswego counties could see localized totals of 3 to 6 inches before lake effect activity diminishes later in the day.
Attention then turns to Saturday, when a mid-level disturbance moving in from the Ohio Valley will bring scattered snow showers across much of the region. Forecasters say this will be a low-impact system, but snowfall will be hit-or-miss due to the showery nature of the snow. Most locations should see coatings to under an inch, though a few areas—especially east of Interstate 81—could pick up an inch or two.
Snow chances continue into Saturday night and Sunday, though confidence in a more organized system has decreased. A fast-moving clipper system is expected to track farther east, reducing the likelihood of widespread accumulation. Still, cold air aloft and weak disturbances will keep occasional snow showers in the forecast through Sunday, particularly across Central New York and areas downwind of the lakes.
While the weekend snow is expected to remain minor overall, travel conditions could become slippery at times, especially during passing snow showers. Gusty winds over the lakes will also maintain small craft conditions on Lake Erie and Lake Ontario through much of the weekend.
Forecasters note that the more significant weather changes arrive early next week, when a strong Arctic air mass is expected to bring much colder temperatures, dangerous wind chills and the potential for more substantial lake effect snow.
For now, the weekend outlook points to manageable but persistent winter weather across the region.
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