Strong Thunderstorms Possible In CNY

A cold front will cross Utica and Rome this afternoon and evening, sparking dangerous storm activity with damaging winds and large hail.

Hazardous Weather Outlook For Central New York:

Northern Oneida-Yates-Seneca-Southern Cayuga-Onondaga-Steuben-Schuyler-Chemung-Tompkins-Madison-Southern Oneida-Cortland-Chenango-Otsego-Tioga-Broome-Delaware-Sullivan-Bradford-Susquehanna-Northern Wayne-Wyoming-Lackawanna-Luzerne-Pike-Southern Wayne-

...POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

Expect widespread thunderstorms this afternoon and evening. Some of the storms could be severe, with damaging winds and large hail. Thunderstorms will track east of the region by later this evening.

Though isolated severe thunderstorms are possible late afternoon-early evening in parts of Central New York, the main concern in the near term period will be Wednesday afternoon when at least scattered gusty thunderstorms are anticipated areawide. Therefore, the Storm Prediction Center has placed Northeast PA- Central NY at a slight risk for severe thunderstorms Wednesday.

National Weather Service

Extended National Weather Center Forecast:

Wednesday: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3pm. Some of the storms could produce small hail, gusty winds, and frequent lightning. High near 85. Southwest wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night: Showers and thunderstorms before 2am, then isolated showers between 2am and 3am. Low around 52. West wind 9 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67. Northwest wind around 10 mph.

Thursday Night: A slight chance of showers after 2am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 44. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday: Showers likely, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Friday Night: Showers likely, mainly before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 66.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 41.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 69.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 45.

Memorial Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 72.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50.

Northern Lights In Old Forge

It's not really common to see northern lights in Central New York, but photographer Kurt Gardner captured the beautiful conformation of them near Old Forge. We're usually too far south of the North Pole, but sometimes we get lucky.

Auroras are caused by the Sun. The Sun is not only hot and bright, but it's also full of energy and small particles that fall toward Earth. NASA says the protective magnetic field around Earth shields us from most of the energy and particles, and we don't even notice them.

The amount of energy the Sun sends, depends on the streaming solar wind and solar storms. During one kind of solar storm called a coronal mass ejection, the Sun expels a huge bubble of electrified gas that can travel through space at high speeds.

When a solar storm comes toward us, some of the energy and small particles can travel down the magnetic field lines at the north and south poles into Earth's atmosphere. There, the particles interact with gases in our atmosphere resulting in beautiful displays of light in the sky. Oxygen gives off green and red light. Nitrogen glows blue and purple. [NASA]

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