Syracuse, NY – Winter will try to return this weekend in upstate New York, but it will fade quickly.
High winds, rain, then snow and lake ice storms are expected this weekend, with a few inches falling in most areas. The snow will end Monday evening, and by Wednesday we will return to partly sunny skies and high temperatures near 60 degrees.
The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather forecast for most of New York State this weekend and into Monday.
“Puddling and rising streams may be possible on Saturday due to a combination of saturated soil and moderate to heavy rain,” the forecast said. “Gusty winds could also lead to isolated power outages. There is also a possibility of snow on Sunday. Blizzards could lead to whiteout and slippery road conditions.”
Before all that, today will be a beautiful day in early March, with mostly sunny skies and temperatures near 60 degrees. This is about 20 degrees higher than normal.
Clouds will move in tonight, and light rain is expected to begin Saturday afternoon. Rain and wind will increase Saturday night, with wind gusts up to 40 mph and an inch of rain.
The ground has already become waterlogged due to recent rains, and this will increase the chances of trees falling due to strong winds. While the rain will raise water levels and likely form puddles on roads, it is expected to fall slowly enough to avoid any serious flooding, the Met Office said.
Temperatures begin to drop early Sunday, with rain turning to snow. Several inches of snow could fall during the day Sunday and into Monday, with overnight temperatures dropping into the low 30s or high 20s.
By Tuesday, it will all be over. The sun is shining again and temperatures are rising into the upper 40s. On Wednesday we return to the 60s for at least the rest of the work week.
After its warmest February on record, Syracuse is now experiencing its warmest start to March. The average temperature in the first week of March was 45.9 degrees, surpassing the record high of 44.8 for the same period in 1974.
