Buffalo, New York – Western New York drivers should prepare now for wet highways and ponding on I-90 and Route 33 as rain chances surge to 80 percent by midday Friday, marking a sharp shift from midweek warmth to a soggy end of the workweek.
According to the National Weather Service in Buffalo, a steady warming trend will push highs into the upper 50s and 60s from Thursday through Saturday, with several rounds of rain developing Thursday and continuing at times into Saturday. While Wednesday stays mainly dry, rain spreads back into the region Thursday afternoon and becomes widespread Thursday night into Friday.
In Buffalo, highs climb into the low 60s by Friday, nearly 15 degrees above early March averages. Rochester and Batavia will see similar warmth, with rain likely along I-490 and I-90 during the Friday morning and midday commute. Jamestown and Olean could reach the mid to upper 60s, but periods of moderate rain may slow traffic on I-86 and Route 219 by Thursday afternoon.
Farther north, Watertown and communities near the Saint Lawrence River face a brief risk of light freezing rain late Thursday night into early Friday as surface temperatures hover in the low 30s. Even a light glaze could create slick stretches on bridges along I-81 before temperatures rise above freezing after sunrise Friday.
Motorists should allow extra travel time during heavier rain bands and watch for reduced visibility on open stretches of highway. With saturated ground and melting snowpack, minor ponding is possible in low-lying areas.
Rain chances remain elevated into Saturday before a drier pattern attempts to return later in the weekend. Additional updates are expected if freezing rain becomes more widespread Thursday night.
