Heat Wave Ends with a Splash: Central New York Weather Update

Central New York is set to stay hot and dry until Friday, as a high‑pressure system keeps the skies clear. Temperatures are climbing toward the upper 80s, and by Friday some places could hit nearly 90 degrees. The heat will linger through the rest of the work week, but a shift in wind direction from the southwest is expected to bring more moisture. That means humidity will rise, making the air feel even stickier as the week closes. On Saturday a cold front will arrive from Canada, bringing the first chance for rain since Monday. The front is expected to carry a lot of moisture, so thunderstorms are likely as it moves across the region.Meteorologists are unsure how fast the front will travel. If it stalls, showers could keep falling into early next week, and parts of Central New York might see moderate to heavy rainfall from Saturday through Monday. The biggest worry is the early part of the front’s arrival. Slow‑moving storms could stay over one spot for a long time, creating flash flooding in localized areas. However, because the region has been dry this week, overall flood risk remains low. Most of the rain is predicted to fall from Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning. A lingering shower or a single thunderstorm may still appear on Sunday afternoon, but drier air from the northwest is expected to move in by Sunday evening, ending the wet spell.