(WSYR-TV, Syracuse) Much colder air returns to our area Wednesday, and while it's not a perfect set up, we should see a bit of lake effect snow across central New York. The map I'm posting with this story was updated at 9 pm Tuesday evening, after looking over some more information. The general idea is the same as I presented on the news this evening, but I think this map does a better job at depicting where the lake snows will accumulate a bit better.
While the big story undoubtedly will be the drop in temperature to near 20, and the gusty winds of 20-30 mph which will create blowing snow, this will be the first wintry day we've felt in awhile. We're certainly cold enough over Lake Ontario to get snow going, but I'd like to see the atmosphere a bit more moist and the depth of the cold air a bit larger. With that in mind, I've kept the 1-4" area, but I've moved the the 4-8" area to the south and east of Syracuse. I think the added lift should be able to squeeze out a few more inches over the higher elevations. For Syracuse I think the max accumulation should be around 4". Keep in mind that this will be through the course of the day, so it certainly won't be a paralyzing snowfall.
Please be careful on the roads in the morning as temperatures drop below freezing, and whatever is wet will turn icy. During the day, I think the biggest problem will be with blowing snow, which will reduce visibility at times. One more time to watch out on the roads will be toward sunset. With temperatures near 20, wet roads could turn icy again, especially where snow is falling.
