A reinforcing shot of cold air is being brought in by northwest winds- very gusty northwest winds, we might add. As the colder air travels across the warmer Lake Ontario, lake effect snow showers develop. In this case, with winds aligned between 290-300° (west/northwest) the set up is favorable for band alignment over the Syracuse area. Expect travel to become difficult at times due to snow squalls and reduced visibility thanks to blowing and drifting of the snow showers. For a live stream of Live Doppler 9, click Here.
This lake effect event looks to be somewhat short lived as our computer models suggest that drier air will move in for Monday morning. Many will be waking up to 3-6” of new snow. While a few flurries are still possible during the morning commute, we’re expecting that some sun should be around for much of the daytime Monday. Temperatures return to the mid to upper 20s Monday afternoon, which although it is an improvement, it is still below average for February.
Southwest winds will import milder air for Tuesday, but will also carry the next weather-maker we’ll be watching. Low pressure tracking in from the Midwest will drag behind a cold front. What we can expect is an early wintry mix, followed by a changeover to snow showers. Winds will be very blustery yet again, making for another tricky travel day. As colder air works in later Tuesday, we’ll see the thermometer drop back down into the 20s with lake effect snow showers for Wednesday and Thursday.
