[SUNSHINE RETURNS TODAY AND TOMORROW… SUBSTANTIAL RAINS RETURN FOR LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY TO CHIP AWAY AT THE DROUGHT…. SOUTHERN GREENS ICE/SNOW STILL POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING… SUNDAY IS THE PICK OF THE WEEKEND… FAIR WEATHER EARLY NEXT WEEK… 6:00AM WED]

Good morning everybody, we received a healthy rainfall yesterday, with the heaviest falling to the east of the I-91 corridor, thanks to those afternoon rain bands that were focused there. Areas in the Berkshires received two-thirds to an inch of rain, whereas areas east of there got about 1-3″ of rainfall on average.

We could see another 1-2″ rainfall this Friday evening into Saturday, so we’re chipping away at the drought in place, which is pretty good, pretty good as Larry David would say.

But before all of that transpires, we’ve got a pair of lovely days to look forward to.

For today, we’re starting off in the 40s and low 50s, but highs will rise well into the 60s, with a few spots perhaps touching 70º under mostly sunny skies, thanks to high pressure building in from the southwest. Lows tonight will be in the low 40s under partly cloudy skies.

As for tonight, Mars was in opposition last night, but should still provide for some nice viewing tonight – look to the eastern sky for the red planet.

For Thursday, high pressure scoots south of us, and puts us in southwesterly, warmer flow. Expect mostly sunny skies and highs in the upper 60s to mid 70s with southerly gusts 20-30mph at times. Lows will drop to near 50º with increasing clouds.

For Friday, an upper level trough (i.e. area of lower than average pressures aloft) will swing through the Great Lakes, and the jet stream will become aligned with it. At the same time, a surface coastal low will be induced to form and all of these features will spawn a coastal low pressure system to track northeast into the New England region Friday night into Saturday.

This should bring another substantial rainfall to the region Friday afternoon into Saturday morning with another 1-2″ of rain possible.

We still can’t rule out some frozen precipitation in the form of sleet or wet snow in the high terrain of the southern Green Mountains above 2000 feet, whcih may descend into northwest MA at those elevstions (i.e. northern Berkshires and western Franklin County). We shall see.

Highs Friday will be cooler, reaching the mid 60s with highs only reaching the 50s for Saturday. Friday lows will be near 40º, with lows Saturday night in the mid to upper 30s.

Saturday doesn’t look like a total wash out, just the morning. By afternoon we could see some sunshine break out west of the CT River Valley before sunset as the storm pulls away to the northeast.

Sunday is the weekend pick with highs in the upper 50s to low 60s under mostly sunny skies, and with lows in the low 40s.

We’re looking seasonable and mostly sunny into early next week at the moment.

Have a great day!