The warmer weather that you’ve been waiting for is finally arriving.

Low pressure passing south of New England brings us some much-needed rain this evening, tapering off to showers overnight as the low gets stuck under an upper-level low and only slowly pulls away. Friday will feature lots of clouds, cool temperatures, and some additional showers, especially during the morning, before the low pulls far enough away to lose its influence on our weather. High pressure then builds in, with skies clearing out Friday night, setting the stage for a fantastic weekend weatherwise. Sunshine is likely for much of Saturday, with some clouds around during the afternoon as the upper-level low remains nearby, but we should see temperatures getting well into the 70s away from the South Coast thanks to gusty southwest winds. Sunday looks even better, for the most part. We’ll have partly to mostly sunny skies with temperatures topping 80 inland, 70s or 60s along the coast thanks to a seabreeze, as winds will be lighter. However, we’ll be watching a backdoor cold front trying to move down the coast. How far south it gets and when it does so are a bit of a question mark. This could allow much cooler air to move into at least coastal areas late Sunday into early Monday, but it does look like it should start to lift back northward on Monday, allowing areas that turned cooler to warm back up, while inland areas may stay very warm. Although it isn’t technically part of this outlook, we figured we’d point out the fact that Tuesday as the potential to be a very warm to hot day, with temperatures possibly topping 90 inland.

Thursday night: Rain likely this evening tapering off to widely scattered showers and drizzle, mainly north of the Mass Pike. Low 44-51.

Friday: Mostly cloudy with a few widely scattered showers and some drizzle, mostly during the morning. High 52-59.

Friday night: Becoming partly cloudy to clear. Low 43-50.

Saturday: Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds, breezy. High 70-77, a little cooler near the South Coast and Cape Cod.

Saturday night: Partly cloudy. Low 52-59.

Sunday: Mostly sunny. High 75-82, cooler across Cape Cod.

Sunday night: Partly cloudy. Low 49-56.

Monday: Partly to mostly sunny. High 65-72 along the coast, 73-80 inland.

Much of the weekend will feature unsettled conditions.

An upper-level low pressure system sitting over southeastern Canada will control our weather for the weekend. A cold front continues to push offshore tonight while high pressure builds in with dry and cool conditions. Friday starts off with sunshine, but with colder air aloft we’ll see clouds quickly popping up during the morning, and a few widely scattered showers possible during the afternoon. More clouds move in at night as a weak disturbance rotating around the upper-level low will generate a weak storm system that will bring in some rain Saturday afternoon and evening. High pressure briefly builds in behind the system with some drier and warmer for Sunday, but it won’t last long. Another disturbance rotating around the upper-level low will trigger another low pressure system over the Mid-Atlantic states that will pass south and east of New England on Monday. We’ll see rain return Sunday night, continuing on Monday with cooler weather returning once again.

Unfortunately, this pattern, with upper level lows moving out and new ones moving in, will likely continue for at least the next few weeks, resulting in near to below normal temperatures and episode of showers every few days. We need the rain to help keep the brush fire danger low and put a dent in the drought, but aside from a nice day or two every now and then conditions will remain dreary for a while. There is some signs that a warmer pattern could move in for the end of the month, but how long it lasts, or if it even moves in, are yet to be determined.

Thursday night: Clear to partly cloudy, cool. Low 38-45.

Friday: Morning sun with afternoon clouds and a few widely scattered showers, breezy. High 55-62.

Friday night: Clear during the evening, clouds stream back in after midnight. Low 38-45.

Saturday: Cloudy and breezy with some rain moving in by early afternoon. High 56-63.

Saturday night: Mostly cloudy, showers ending by midnight. Low 45-52.

Sunday: Partly sunny, slight chance for an afternoon shower. High 65-72, cooler across the South Coast and Cape Cod.

Sunday night: Cloudy with showers developing after midnight. Low 45-52.

Monday: Rain likely. High 54-61.

If you’re expecting dry and warm weather as we flip the calendar to May, then we’ve got some bad news for you.

Any lingering showers will end this evening as low pressure pulls away from the region allowing skies to clear out. High pressure builds in for Friday with sunshine in the morning, but with an upper-level low pressure area over southern Canada we’ll see clouds return for the afternoon with a few pop-up showers possible. Clouds move back in on Saturday as low pressure moves off the Carolina coastline. Although this system will pass fairly far offshore, it does look like the outer edge of rain with this system will move into at least southeastern Massachusetts, and possibly the rest of eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island Saturday night into at least Sunday morning, with the potential for some steadier and heavier rain across Cape Cod, possibly into parts of southeastern Massachusetts. Rain will end during the afternoon, then drier weather returns on Monday.

Thursday night: Any lingering showers end in the evening, gradual clearing overnight. Low 39-46.

Friday: Sunshine and some afternoon clouds, slight chance for a shower or two during the afternoon, mainly across southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. High 59-66.

Friday night: Clear skies during the evening, becoming partly cloudy overnight. Low 39-46.

Saturday: Becoming mostly cloudy, showers possible by evening across southeastern Massachusetts. High 53-60.

Saturday night: Plenty of clouds with showers likely, especially from Boston southward. Low 39-46.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy, showers taper off and end by early afternoon, some late-day sunny breaks may develop. High 52-59.

Sunday night: Becoming clear. Low 36-43.

Monday: A mix of sun and clouds, breezy. High 59-66.

As is typically the case in Spring around here, the only constant this weekend is that things will keep changing.

A frontal system remains in place this evening, separating unseasonably warm weather across southern and western portions of the region from much cooler air to the north. Another wave of low pressure will ride along that front, bringing in another round of showers and thunderstorms this evening and tonight. This will help to put a dent in the ongoing drought, and also keep the brush fire danger on the low side. A cold front moves through on Friday, producing a few more showers, but finally bringing an end to our up and down temperatures we’ve had over the past week. Now, they’ll just be down. Saturday looks to be a much cooler day behind the front, with plenty of clouds around, and possibly a few showers or some drizzle, mainly across eastern areas, thanks to onshore flow off the chilly Atlantic. A stronger cold front will head towards the region on Sunday. Some occasional showers are likely during the daytime, with a steadier rain likely accompanying the front in the evening. A rather chilly airmass will filter in behind the front for Patriots Day. An upper-level disturbance will cross the region during the day, generating some clouds, and possibly a few sprinkles or even some snow flurries. While the weather may not be ideal for the runners in the Boston Marathon (or the fans for the Red Sox traditional 11:05am game), it could be a lot worse.

Thursday night: Partly to mostly cloudy with some showers and thunderstorms likely, mostly before midnight. Low 53-60.

Friday: Intervals of clouds and sun with scattered showers. High 68-75, cooler at the coast and across Cape Cod, temperatures start to fall in the afternoon.

Friday night: Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 44-51.

Saturday: Plenty of clouds with some drizzle and fog, possibly a few showers in eastern areas. High 53-60, cooler along the coast.

Saturday night: Cloudy with more drizzle and fog. Low 41-48.

Sunday: Cloudy and becoming breezy with showers developing, becoming a steadier rain late in the day. High 54-61.

Sunday night: Showers ending, some clearing overnight. Low 30-37.

Monday: Morning sun, then variably cloudy and breezy with a few showers or flurries possible. High 43-50.

Much of the upcoming weekend will be dry with temperatures fairly close to where we should be in the first half of April.

High pressure slides offshore with southwest winds bringing milder air into the region for tonight and Friday, except along the South Coast, where southwest winds are a seabreeze off the still-chilly Atlantic. Clouds will start to move in later Friday ahead of a cold front. That front may produce a few showers Friday night, but it will bring cooler air in for Saturday as high pressure builds in behind it. That high moves eastward on Sunday, with a chilly start to the day, but as winds shift back into the southwest, we’ll see milder air start to move back in by late in the day. Low pressure heading into southeastern Canada will drag a warm front across the region Sunday night, possibly accompanied by a few showers, setting up a very mild day on Monday.

Thursday night: Partly cloudy. Low 31-38.

Friday: Sunshine gives way to increasing afternoon clouds, breezy. High 62-69, cooler across Cape Cod and the South Coast.

Friday night: Mostly cloudy, chance for a few showers, skies start to clear out late at night. Low 40-47.

Saturday: Plenty of sunshine, breezy. High 53-60.

Saturday night: Clear skies. Low 31-38.

Sunday: Partly sunny. High 51-58.

Sunday night: Mostly cloudy, chance for a few showers. Low 39-46.

Monday: More clouds than sunshine, breezy, milder. High 64-71, cooler across Cape Cod and the South Coast.

A frontal system will be hanging around through the weekend, with its exact location determining our weather each day.

That front is well to our south this afternoon, with some rather chilly air in place, while weak disturbances will bring in some showers this afternoon and tonight. As a low pressure system moves into the Great Lakes and then southeastern Canada tonight and Friday it will drag that front back northward, resulting in a return of milder air, with some sunshine possible Friday afternoon. This should result in some rather nice weather for the Red Sox home opener, though the day may start gloomy and cool. However, our warm weather will be short-lived, as the front drops back southward on Saturday, bringing the cooler air back, though we’ll likely remain on the dry side. Another low pressure system heads into the Great Lakes for Easter Sunday, bringing the front northward once again, so the rollercoaster ride will continue, with temperatures turning milder once again. That system brings in some rain for Sunday and Sunday night before it drags the cold front through, with, you guessed it, colder air returning on Monday.

Thursday night: Plenty of clouds with some drizzle and fog as well as some widely scattered showers, mostly after midnight. Low 30-37.

Friday: Morning clouds, maybe a lingering shower, becoming partly sunny and breezy in the afternoon. High 58-65, cooler across the South Coast and Cape Cod.

Friday night: Variably cloudy. Low 46-53.

Saturday: Partly sunny with increasing and thickening afternoon clouds, breezy. High 56-63 in the morning, temperatures drop through the daytime.

Saturday night: Mostly cloudy. Low 35-42.

Sunday: Cloudy and breezy with showers likely. High 58-65, cooler across the South Coast and Cape Cod.

Sunday night: Showers end in the evening, gradual clearing overnight. Low 33-40.

Monday: A mix of sun and clouds, breezy. High 46-53.