Tracking a warm and breezy end of week before weekend storm threat

TODAY: Friday is the warmest in the forecast, with highs in the upper 70s across the region thanks to a stout south wind around 15-25 mph sustained, gusting to 30-35 at times.

TONIGHT: South winds continue overnight, allowing for temperatures to remain near 60. This will be aided by an increase in clouds. These will yield spotty showers in the east overnight, but little rain will come from it.

EXTENDED: Rain totals will increase over the weekend, with heavy rain from thunderstorms. Most will see a quarter to a half inch of rain from Saturday night through Sunday evening with isolated totals nearing an inch under the strongest storms, and with recurring rainfall. A cold front will work in from the west late Saturday night through Sunday morning. We'll have a chance for these storms to be severe as they arrive Saturday night. These should encounter a weakening environment as they arrive overnight, but we are worried they won't pass until the afternoon on Sunday. This would give the atmosphere time to recharge ahead of the front for an increased storm risk on Sunday afternoon in our eastern counties. For this risk, we have issued an ABC17 Stormtrack Weather Alert Day for Saturday night through Sunday afternoon. You can get the latest information in our Weather Alert Day Blog. We will be in the 70s Saturday with abundant dry time, albeit cloudy skies, before the storms arrive that evening. We'll be cooler behind the rain on Sunday, with temperatures falling into the 30s again on Monday morning, even if just barely. We'll be cool on Monday, as highs only reach low 50s. We'll warm into more rain chances next week.