We’ve got good news and bad news. Good news: the 4-day period this forecast encompasses won’t be half bad. Bad news: the 4-day period this forecast encompasses will be half bad.

We start off with high pressure in control tonight and early Friday with dry and seasonably mild conditions. Low pressure sends a warm front our way on Friday, with more clouds in the afternoon along with more humid air, and eventually, some showers and thunderstorms by evening. The low pressure system will take it’s time moving across the region as it will be accompanied by yet another upper-level low, which means Saturday will feature occasional showers and thunderstorms and cooler temperatures. The showers will likely continue into early Sunday before tapering off, but with the low only slowly departing, clouds will remain for much of the day. We should see some improvement on Monday, but with that upper-level low nearby, we could see a few pop-up showers in the afternoon.

Thursday night: Clear skies. Low 56-63.

Friday: Sunshine in the morning then clouds start to increase along with humidity levels, showers and thunderstorms possible by evening. High 77-84.

Friday night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Low 56-63.

Saturday: Cloudy with occasional showers and some bouts of steadier rain, a few thunderstorms possible as well. High 62-69.

Saturday night: Plenty of clouds with a few more showers likely. Low 52-59.

Sunday: Showers taper off in the morning, mostly cloudy in the afternoon with a few breaks of sun possible. High 63-70.

Sunday night: Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 51-58.

Monday: Partly sunny, a shower is possible during the afternoon. High 66-73.

Some improvement to our weather is coming this weekend, but it won’t last that long.

The upper-level low pressure area that has kept us cloudy and cool with occasional showers for the past several days will gradually lift out over the weekend. It will remain nearby on Friday with more clouds, some additional showers and possibly a few thunderstorms. With cold air aloft, any thunderstorms that form could produce some small hail. By Saturday, the upper-level low finally starts to move out, but it will remain close enough to produce a few more showers, especially during the first half of the day. With the low moving out, some of the smoke from the wildfires in Canada maystart to drift back into the region, resulting in hazy conditions, but for now at least, it doesn’t look anywhere near as bad as what New York has had for the past few days. High pressure builds in for Saturday night and Sunday with drier and warmer weather, but we’ll still have the smoke and haze to deal with. By Monday, another low pressure system begins to approach from the west, but it looks like any showers associated with it will hold off until late in the day or at night. This system may bring in a much-needed soaking rain for Tuesday, but we’ll wait until it gets closer for a more definitive look at that.

Thursday night: Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 45-52.

Friday: Plenty of clouds with a few sunny breaks, some showers and thunderstorms will develop in the afternoon. A few storms may produce small hail. High 61-68.

Friday night: Partly to mostly cloudy, showers and storms taper off in the evening. Low 47-54.

Saturday: Morning clouds and a few showers, some sunshine develops in the afternoon, but it could be dimmed by haze and smoke. High 65-72, coolest along the coast.

Saturday night: Clear to partly cloudy, hazy. Low 49-56.

Sunday: Morning hazy sunshine, clouds start to move in during the afternoon. High 74-81, coolest along the coast.

Sunday night: Becoming partly to mostly cloudy. Low 53-60.

Monday: Plenty of clouds with showers possible late in the day, breezy. High 74-81.

All good things must come to an end, and that includes our recent stretch of dry and warm weather.

We’ve got one more warm to hot day on Friday before a backdoor cold front brings an end to the warm weather party. The front will be accompanied by showers and possibly a few thunderstorms, then once it sags southward, gusty northeast winds will usher much cooler air into the region for Saturday. In fact, the cooler air will hang around through the weekend and into Monday. The other forecast issue is an offshore low pressure system, and how close it gets to New England, which will have an impact on the forecast for later Sunday and Monday. Right now, we’re thinking that it stays far enough offshore to have little impact on most of the region, though it may be close enough for some showers across eastern Massachusetts. We’re not expecting a washout unless something changes significantly.

Thursday night: Clear to partly cloudy, fog possible near the South Coast. Low 57-64, a little cooler near the South Coast.

Friday: Morning sun, then increasing clouds with showers and possibly some thunderstorms during the late afternoon and evening. High 78-85 near the coast, 86-93 across the interior.

Friday night: Cloudy and breezy with showers likely. Low 47-54.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy and quite breezy and lingering showers end in the morning, some sunny breaks may develop late in the day. High 56-63, coolest near the coast.

Saturday night: Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 42-49.

Sunday: Intervals of clouds and sun, chance for some showers across eastern Massachusetts, breezy. High 55-62, a little cooler near the coast.

Sunday night: Partly to mostly cloudy, breezy, showers possible across eastern Massachusetts. Low 44-51.

Monday: More clouds than sun, again some showers are possible, mainly in eastern Massachusetts. High 61-68, coolest near the coast.

Finally, Hurricane Season began on Thursday, and at the end of our preview, we mentioned that the Atlantic was quiet. Well, that turned out to be incorrect. A cluster of thunderstorms in the Gulf of Mexico got organized enough on Thursday to be classified as Tropical Depression Two. The system is weak, though it has a chance to become a weak tropical storm on Friday, but it is expected to weaken and dissipate during the weekend, without impacting land. The thunderstorms from the system may end up producing heavy rain across parts of Cuba, Florida, and the Bahamas, but the system itself won’t do much.

Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start, and the weather couldn’t be much better than what we’ll have.

High pressure will build in north of the region, and slowly drift eastward over the next few days. We’ll start off the weekend with a rather cool night tonight, but temperatures will moderate over the next few days, with Sunday and Monday likely to see 80s in many areas away from the coast. For the most part, we’ll have sunshine each day, though some high-level haze and smoke may drift through at times. We also need to keep an eye on a low pressure area off the Southeast coast. While the high to our north should block its northward progress, some high clouds on the northern fringe of it could reach the South Coast toward Sunday and Monday, which would be the only blemish on the weekend forecast.

Thursday night: Clear and cool. Low 40-47.

Friday: Mostly sunny, milder. High 65-72, cooler along the coast.

Friday night: Clear skies. Low 43-50.

Saturday: Plenty of sunshine, warmer. High 72-79, cooler near the South Coast and Cape Cod.

Saturday night: Clear skies. Low 48-55.

Sunday: More sunshine, a little breezy. High 79-86, cooler near the South Coast and Cape Cod.

Sunday night: Low 53-60.

Memorial Day: Sunshine and possibly some high clouds, a little breezy at times. High 74-81, a little cooler near the coast.

Some much-needed rain is coming this weekend, but don’t fret, it won’t ruin the entire weekend.

Offshore high pressure remains in control for tonight and Friday, with dry and milder weather likely. We’ll still have smoke from wildfires in Canada dimming the sun at times on Friday, but overall it will be a nice day. Clouds will move in at night though as a pair of systems begin to head our way. A cold front will be moving in from the west, while a weak low pressure system moves up the East Coast. There are still some mixed signals with the coastal low for Saturday, which has a big impact on the forecast. Some models have that system send a batch of rain in for Saturday afternoon, others keep the rain either offshore, or confined to Cape Cod. We’re leaning towards the latter scenario at the moment. The cold front then moves through Saturday night with some showers along and ahead of it. High pressure then builds in for Sunday and Monday with dry and seasonably warm conditions, but we may still have some smoke drifting through, dimming the sun at times.

Thursday night: Clear skies. Low 39-46.

Friday: Sunshine filtered through high-level smoke, clouds start to move in during the afternoon. High 66-73, a little cooler along the South Coast.

Friday night: Becoming mostly cloudy. Low 47-54.

Saturday: Cloudy and breezy with some showers likely. High 62-69.

Saturday night: Mostly cloudy with more showers, ending before daybreak. Low 52-59.

Sunday: Becoming partly sunny, smoke may filter the sun at times, breezy. High 69-76.

Sunday night: Partly cloudy. Low 47-54.

Monday: Plenty of sunshine, breezy. High 61-68, coolest near the coast.

After a rather cool and damp week thus far, the weather will improve in time for the weekend.

The stubborn low pressure area that has been plaguing the region for much of the week will finally start to move out tonight, which slow improvement on Friday, and much better weather coming for the weekend. Not only will the rain end, but temperatures will get back to near to even above normal levels for early May.

Thursday night: Cloudy with some drizzle and a few showers. Low 38-45.

Friday: Clouds and a few showers or drizzle gradually give way to some afternoon sunshine. High 52-59, coolest along the coast.

Friday night: Clearing. Low 40-47.

Saturday: Sunshine and some afternoon clouds. High 63-70.

Saturday night: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 44-51.

Sunday: Sunshine and a few clouds around. High 66-73.

Sunday night: Clear skies. Low 45-52.

Monday: Plenty of sunshine. High 68-75.

Friday is looking like a really nice day, so you’d better enjoy it, because the rest of the weekend isn’t looking so great.

The upper-level low pressure that’s been hanging around all week will finally move away and high pressure builds in tonight into Friday with drier and milder conditions. Friday like starts with some sunshine, but clouds will increase and thicken up during the afternoon and evening as low pressure begins to slowly move this way. The high will keep the rain shield from the low at bay for a while, but showers should eventually develop Saturday afternoon and continue into Sunday morning. Sunday may not be that bad of a day, but it certainly isn’t looking great. As the first system moves out, a second, more potent one, will begin to approach. Most of the rain from that system will hold off until Sunday night, so the bulk of Sunday will be just cloudy, but there will be enough moisture around for some drizzle and possibly a few showers. Rain is likely Sunday morning, ending by midday Monday, with some sunny breaks developing in the afternoon.

Thursday night: Becoming clear to partly cloudy with areas of fog developing. Low 36-43.

Friday: Some morning sun, then clouds increase and thicken up. High 58-65, coolest along the coast.

Friday night: Mostly cloudy. Low 40-47.

Saturday: Cloudy and becoming breezy with showers developing during the afternoon. High 51-58.

Saturday night: Periods of rain and showers, breezy. Low 42-49 during the evening, temperatures may rise a bit after midnight.

Sunday: Rain tapers off in the morning, still some showers or drizzle around during the afternoon, still breezy. High 57-64.

Sunday night: Windy with rain redeveloping. Low 47-54.

Monday: Showers end in the morning, some clearing during the afternoon, breezy again. High 61-68.

Glass half-full or glass half-empty? Which is your point of view? That’ll help you decide whether the weekend will be good or not so good.

High pressure slides off to the east, with another sunny day expected on Friday. Temperatures will be mild away from the shoreline, but a seabreeze will keep coastal areas on the cool side once again. Clouds will start to stream in Friday night ahead of a warm front, but we’re not sure that front ever makes it across the region. Saturday looks to feature plenty of clouds, and maybe even a little drizzle, with seasonably cool temperatures, especially the closer to the coastline you get. Low pressure heads into southeastern Canada Saturday night into Sunday, dragging a slow-moving cold front toward the region. Showers will move in ahead of the front Saturday night. To the amateur, looking at the models you would forecast Sunday to be a washout, but that is likely not the case. We’ll have occasional periods of rain, especially during the morning, but it won’t be all day, and in fact, a good chunk of the day, especially in the afternoon, could end up dry. When it does rain though, some of it could be heavy. Since it’s been rather dry lately, we actually do need the rain, so despite it falling on a weekend, it’s not completely bad. Temperatures will be on the cool side once again thanks to the clouds, rain, and gusty onshore winds. The cold front moves offshore later Sunday, but an upper-level low moves into the Northeast on Monday, meaning we’ll still have plenty of clouds, more showers at times, and breezy and cool conditions. This is Mother Nature’s way of reminding you that despite our summer preview a week ago, it is still April in New England.

Thursday night: Clar to partly cloudy. Low 36-43.

Friday: Sunshine and a few clouds. High 55-62 near the coast, 63-70 inland.

Friday night: Becoming mostly cloudy. Low 39-46.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy and breezy, a little drizzle is possible. High 55-62, a little cooler near the coast.

Saturday night: Cloudy, breezy, showers developing. Low 43-50.

Sunday: Cloudy and windy with periods of rain in the morning, then some occasional showers during the afternoon. High 51-58.

Sunday night: Mostly cloudy with showers tapering off. Low 41-48.

Monday: Plenty of clouds with some sunny breaks, breezy, some additional showers are possible. High 55-62.

Our early summer preview will last for another day for parts of the region, but April will be coming back rather quickly.

High pressure remains in place offshore, keeping most of the region very warm for the rest of today and tonight, and into the day on Friday. However, a backdoor cold front will start to move inland during the day on Friday, which means that coastal areas will quickly turn cooler, with inland areas likely staying warm again Friday, cooling off late in the day. While some inland locations could make a run at 90 during the afternoon, coastal locations may drop into the 50s at the same time. That front likely stalls out at some point on Saturday, keeping most of us on the cooler side, with temperatures in the 50s to lower 60s, which is close to normal for mid-April. South and west of the front, it’ll be another warm day, but this is mostly likely for areas from the Connecticut Valley south and west. A weak disturbance moves through for Saturday night and Sunday with a few showers, mainly south of the Mass Pike. However, with plenty of clouds and some showers around, temperatures will stay in the 50s for most of us.

This brings us to Monday – Patriots Day, when weather will be very important, since we have both the Boston Marathon and the Red Sox traditional 11am game, as well as other assorted activities such as the reenactments of Paul Revere’s ride and the first shots of the Revolution in Lexington and Concord. We also have the Bruins 1st playoff game at night, but the weather won’t impact that. A cold front will bring moving into the region, bringing some rain, but the timing is still in question. Some models have showers in the morning, some hold off the rain until afternoon. Obviously, that makes a huge difference, so we’ll be keeping an eye on that as we go through the weekend.

Thursday night: Clear through the evening, some clouds may start to drift in after midnight. Low 56-63.

Friday: Partly to mostly sunny. High 72-79 along the coast, 80-87 inland, but temperatures will drop sharply in the afternoon, especially closer to the coast.

Friday night: Increasing clouds. Low 44-51.

Saturday: More clouds than sun, a few showers possible late in the day, mainly south of the Mass Pike. High 57-64 near the coast, 65-72 inland.

Saturday night: Mostly cloudy with some showers likely, again mostly south of the Mass Pike. Low 45-52.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy and breezy with showers likely, mainly across eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island and mainly during the morning. High 52-59.

Sunday night: Mostly cloudy. Low 44-51.

Patriots Day: Mostly cloudy and breezy with showers likely, especially during the afternoon. High 59-66, cooler along the coast.