First Alert Weather: First lake effect snow of the year doesn’t leave much for Rochester

ROCHESTER. N.Y. The return of lake effect snow is here, but due to a lack of moisture and a more scattered nature, it won’t be too bad for the Rochester region today. Temperatures will be falling throughout the day, going from the low 30s to the high 20s, marking the beginning of a long lasting cold trend… Winds at 15-25 MPH will also make temperatures feel about 10 degrees colder.

As of 7am, radar imagery shows scattered lake flakes in and around Rochester, but none are particularly strong… This should be the trend throughout the day. While the roads in some parts will see fast flying flakes during the morning commute, accumulation will not be enough to cause any significant impacts to travel. That being said, still take caution if you’re on the roads this morning in case you encounter some slick roads or blowing snow. You can see where exactly the snow is live using the radar feature on the First Alert Weather app, or by checking out the Interactive Rochester Radar right here on WHEC.com. But in general, just know that the lake flakes will not be leaving much for us today.

The lake effect snow pattern will continue into the weekend, and by Saturday night the snowfall total for Rochester will be in the 3 to 6 inch range, with the most snowfall in northeast Wayne County, where half a foot to a foot is possible. Stay tuned to News10 NBC for updates on Saturday morning in particular, as that is when the snow band may more directly impact travel for Monroe County.

A more widespread snow system moving east from the Ohio River valley will pass south of us on Monday, but some snow flurries off the northern edge of the system could still reach us. Temperatures will continue to drop through the next ten days, as will be the case for the entire eastern half of the U.S. as the polar vortex is expected to take a dip all the way down to the Southeast.