Buffalo, New York — Temperatures are dropping into the upper 20s and low 30s overnight Saturday into early Sunday across western and central New York, with widespread frost forming between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. that could damage crops and create slick spots on untreated rural roads in Buffalo, Rochester, Batavia and Jamestown.
According to the National Weather Service in Buffalo, inland areas away from Lake Erie and Lake Ontario will see the coldest conditions, with lows reaching 28 to 32 degrees in higher terrain east of Buffalo and near Warsaw, where a hard freeze is possible before sunrise Sunday.
The cold is part of a broader system bringing a cooler-than-normal pattern across the eastern United States into mid-May, reinforcing repeated overnight frost risks even as daytime temperatures fluctuate.
Frost is expected to form quickly on exposed surfaces, especially in low-lying fields and rural valleys where cold air settles, increasing the risk of crop loss and icy patches on bridges and shaded roads along I-90 and secondary highways.
Residents should cover sensitive plants, bring potted vegetation indoors and use caution on early morning drives, particularly on untreated surfaces where frost can reduce tire traction.
The most critical freeze window will occur between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday, when temperatures bottom out below freezing across inland sections.
