First Alert Weather: Rain and wet snow in the Finger Lakes region Friday

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A storm system developing along the coast will continue to transport moisture from the east into the Rochester and Finger Lakes region into Friday.

While there will be plenty of precipitation, with about a half inch of rain, it will just be marginally cold enough for some minor snow in the hilltops of the Finger Lakes and the Southern Tier. If it were just a little colder, we would all be talking about early-season winter snow. But, that isn’t the case. Most areas north of the Thruway will see a plain old cold rain with just a few flakes mixing in at times, areas south of the Thruway will see some wet snow.

The ground will be too warm for much more than a coating on the ground at ground level, while a few inches of dense snow will be likely in the highest elevations. Bristol Mountain may come away with a few inches of white by the time Friday is over.

It’ll remain cool and blustery through the weekend with a few more rain or wet snow showers on Saturday (no accumulation), and mainly dry weather on Sunday. The early part of next week will be warm enough for just some rain showers on Monday and Tuesday with a warm front, but a cold front will quickly follow, dropping our temperatures into the lower 40s and upper 30s as we approach Thanksgiving Day.

This may be just cold enough for some flurries and flakes. At this point, the weather doesn’t look like it’ll impact travel before Thanksgiving, but there are some indications that the weather could turn more active for Black Friday and post-Thanksgiving travel.  Check back for updates as the forecast becomes more clear.