Yellow Alert Wednesday evening into Thursday for snow and ice

ROCHESTER, N.Y. Our Yellow Alert is expanded into Wednesday evening to include the evening commute. This is due to the slightly faster arrival of the initial batch of snow.

Wednesday starts dry, perhaps even a little sun. Snow begins to move in by late morning in the Southern Tier, then near Rochester closer to the late afternoon and early evening hours. Surface temperatures should be just below freezing, so some light accumulation on roads is a possibility during the evening commute.

Impacts should be fairly low, but not zero. Some bigger impacts begin to arrive shortly after sunset, with warmer air beginning to work in aloft, which will change snow over to some sleet and freezing rain. This will continue into the first part of the overnight before tapering by Thursday morning.

This is a very complicated setup, which may very well lead to some changes in the forecast. But at this point, expect several inches of snow and sleet from Lake Ontario to Rochester, and up to​ a quarter to half inch of freezing rain between about Routes 104 and 5&20.

This is a rough guide, and amounts may vary. While this will likely create moderate issues on roads and sidewalks, power outages shouldn’t be a widespread issue. Still, some outages are expected as the ice accumulates on elevated surfaces, including some trees and power lines.

This is not expected to be a major ice storm. The slightest change in temperatures will have a big impact on the forecast, so continue to monitor forecasts from the First Alert Weather Team as we monitor the latest data.