Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) — December has started out bitter cold in Western New York this year. Most areas near Rochester have experienced temperatures that are more than 10 degrees colder than historic December normals.
December has been frigid.
In the first nine days of the month, the air temperature has reached the single digits four times, with many areas south of Rochester seeing sub-zero temperatures at least twice.
The average temperature for the month is 23.1 degrees as of this writing, with every single day of the month experienced below-normal temperatures.
It’s almost hard to believe that this isn’t a top-10 cold December at this point, but it looks like we’ll be in the top 10 soon.
The weather pattern is going to stay much colder than normal for the next two weeks around town.
Naturally, you’re probably wondering if that cold will lead to snow. The short answer to that question is yes, but we don’t see any ‘big’ snow events for Rochester at this point.
For now, areas west of Rochester have a winter weather advisory in effect from 7 p.m. Tuesday through 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Snow amounts may reach 2-4 inches off to the west of the city. Snow closer to Rochester may reach an inch or so by Wednesday evening. Much of the expected snow will fall after midnight into the morning commute Wednesday.
Even small amounts of snow can impact commute times, so we’ll keep an eye on Wednesday morning’s commute.
A second chance for some snow will arrive late Wednesday through late Friday. A winter storm watch is in effect for Wayne County during this period.
The wind direction will turn to the northwest behind a cold front. The northwest flow will create areas of lake effect snow off of Lake Ontario. It’s still early to project snow amounts at this time, but it’s safe to say a few communities will be shoveling east of the city later this week.
As always, we’ll have fresh weather updates for you over the coming days and you can always get our latest forecast on the 13WHAM Weather App.
Comment with Bubbles
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (1)
Search here to download the app for your smart device.
