Binghamton, New York – Strong winds sweeping across the Southern Tier today will set the stage for a volatile stretch of weather, with wind gusts approaching 40 to 50 mph this afternoon and the potential for severe thunderstorms by Monday afternoon and evening.
According to the National Weather Service in Binghamton, Wind Advisories are in effect across the Finger Lakes and western Twin Tiers, including Chemung and Tioga counties in New York and Bradford and Wyoming counties in Pennsylvania. Winds will strengthen through the afternoon with widespread gusts between 40 and 50 mph continuing into Monday morning.
Cities including Binghamton, Ithaca, Elmira, and Cortland may experience the strongest gusts, which could knock down small branches and make travel difficult on exposed roadways such as Interstate 81, Interstate 86, and Route 17.
Attention then turns to Monday afternoon into Monday evening, when a developing squall line along a cold front could produce scattered severe thunderstorms. The primary threat will be locally damaging wind gusts, though forecasters say a brief tornado cannot be ruled out, particularly across parts of northeast Pennsylvania including Wilkes-Barre and Scranton where the highest local risk is projected.
Heavy rain could also produce isolated flash flooding in urban and poor drainage areas. Forecasters say conditions will turn sharply colder Monday night behind the front, with lake-effect snow showers possible Tuesday as the active weather pattern continues across the region.
