First Alert Weather: Cold for Black Friday and some lake effect snow this weekend

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A cold westerly wind moving over the lakes has initiated a lake effect response with snowbands forming east of Lake Erie and Ontario.

The Rochester area won’t be seeing any of that on Friday but we will still have to deal with cold temperatures and strong winds. We’ll reach the upper 30s but the wind chill will be in the upper 20s. Make sure you bring a warm jacket if you’re going out shopping on Black Friday.

The higher elevations may see a few flakes but nothing more. On Friday, Rochester will see clearing skies and temperatures in the high 20s. The wind will make it feel even colder. 

The lake effect snowbands east of the lakes will stay where they are for most of the weekend, leading to significant snowfall south of Buffalo along the Thruway, all the way toward Erie PA.

By the end of the weekend, snowfall totals could be around two feet in some areas. This will make traveling home from Thanksgiving difficult, so stay tuned to see how conditions develop.

As for Rochester, no accumulating snow is expected until later on Sunday when the winds shift from west to northwest. This will redirect lake-effect snow toward the lakeshore. It’s still a little early for snowfall total predictions, so make sure to stay tuned as the forecast develops. Either way, Rochester’s snow drought will finally be coming to an end in the next few days.

Temperatures will continue to stay low going into next week, and along with northwest winds conditions are looking favorable for continued lake effect snow. Overall, it seems winter is finally here.