Winter Storm to drop significant snow

While the temperatures will push over 50º in places today, a major winter storm is set to slam the area tomorrow. The models are starting to converge on a single forecast, which seems to make sense based on some basic meteorology and a little common sense. Light precipitation will likely break out tonight as scattered rain and snow showers as temperatures drop into the 30s. The precipitation will increase in intensity towards the mid and late morning, becoming heavy at times and lasting through the afternoon.Meanwhile, cold air will wrap into the storm from the north and west while warmer air works ahead of the storm to the south and east. As a result, the northern and western Finger Lakes should either be all snow, or change over from any sleet or rain during the morning. With the heaviest precipitation Wednesday afternoon primarily snow, significant accumulations are likely. Some enhancement from Lake Ontario may boost totals up even more near Rochester.Across the southern and eastern Finger Lakes, it looks as though the warm air, both at the surface and just above the surface, will hold on until the mid afternoon. In these areas, sleet, rain and pockets of freezing rain will mix until 3-5pm, when a quick change over to snow will occur. The further south and east, the longer it will be before this switch over happens, if it happens at all. Accumulations will be much lower here and will primarily come Wednesday evening.Bitter cold moves in for Thursday behind the storm. High temperatures will only be in the teens, with gusty winds causing sub-zero wind chills, blowing and drifting snow and poor visibilities. The storm will clear out by Thursday night, leaving us with lighter winds and clearing skies. With the fresh snow and cold air mass, expect more sub-zero low temperatures Friday morning, possibly as low as -10º in some of the colder areas.For the latest from FL1 Meteorologist Drew Montreuil, local forecast, radar, and current conditions, visit our Local Weather Center.

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