CENTRAL NEW YORK -- We certainly been into a tough bout of winter weather over the past 72 hours.
First, two storms came through from the Midwest with several inches of snow, the first last Friday and another early Sunday. Then, behind a powerful nor’easter (coastal storm) off the New England coast, a strong northwest wind took hold and brought down very cold arctic air. This was the start of our current multitude of weather problems.
Temperatures fell late Sunday and the lake snows and squalls got organized off Lake Ontario. Winds picked up out of the northwest Sunday Night and today, and as most of us know, a general northwest wind flow means lake snows are dropped across parts of Central New York and the Syracuse area, which they certainly have been today. Several inches of new snow have fallen today in CNY. That has been only a part of the problem though. Arguably, the biggest problem today has been the strong, gusty winds. Winds have been sustained at 20-30 mph with higher gusts all day long causing extreme blowing and drifting snow and localized whiteouts. Near the Lake Ontario shoreline, we had reports from some of our weather watchers of winds peaking near 60 mph at times during the day today. These wind speeds can make even a light snow seem like a raging blizzard and big problems on the roads.
Conditions in the lower atmosphere remain favorable for lake snows and squalls from Oswego county and the Tug Hill down into the Syracuse area and western Mohawk valley tonight with several more inches of snow likely in these areas. Atmospheric conditions will slowly begin turning less favorable for organized and intense lake snows after 2:00 am, and the primary lake snow area should begin a slow drift north of Syracuse and Onondaga County late tonight and Tuesday morning. The morning commute may still be a little tough, especially across Oswego and northern Oneida counties early Tuesday, but slowly improve as the day goes on and the lake snows weaken.
The overall weather pattern takes a turn for the milder starting Wednesday as much more of a southerly wind begins kicking in. Signaling the arrival of this milder airmass could be a light, wintry mixture of precipitation after Midnight and early Wednesday, which should change over to plain old rain showers come Wednesday afternoon.
At this point our Christmas Day weather looks uneventful, with the chance for a few minor snow showers or flurries and high temperatures in the mid 30s.
