Syracuse, N.Y. — A big storm system is likely to bring heavy rains to eastern New York state today, raising the odds of minor flooding in areas where there’s still snow on the ground to be melted.
And as the storm moves through tonight and Thursday, it will draw in air cold enough, and winds strong enough, to generate substantial lake effect snow at the eastern ends of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
Central New York is likely to avoid the worst of both blasts, getting an inch of rain today and a couple of inches of snow through Friday.
Today and into tonight, rain will be pushed up the East Coast, with 2 or 3 inches falling in the far southeast corner of New York state. That could be enough to cause some minor flooding, the National Weather Service said.
A flood watch has been issued for several counties along the Vermont border.
More than 2 inches of rain could fall today in the southeastern corner of New York state, raising the chances of flooding.National Weather Service
Tonight, cold air blows in from across the Great Lakes. Most of Upstate is likely see an inch or two of wet snow Thursday.
As cold winds blow from the west with gusts up to 40 mph, they will lift evaporating water from lakes Erie and Ontario and push onto shore as lake effect snow.
Lake effect snow warnings are in effect from 7 tonight until 7 p.m. Friday for the Buffalo and Watertown areas.
Watertown and Tug Hill could see more than than 2 feet, as could counties just south of Buffalo, through Friday.
The high winds could make travel impossible at times, the weather service said.
The same areas were hammered last week with up to 4 feet of lake effect snow.
