Forecast: Rainy, Foggy Thursday Before Sunny Weekend

Rain will move into the area this morning and continue much of the day. The rain will be heaviest south of the Massachusetts Turnpike, although heavier showers could occur anywhere. Most of the rain will fall between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Across Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket and the south coast of New England an inch or more of rain is likely. Further north a quarter to three-quarters of an inch of rain will be the rule as you travel south from southern New Hampshire to the areas with the heavier rain. Fog will be prevalent this morning, but there won’t be much wind with this particular weather system.

The later part of the morning commute and the evening commute will likely happen with wet roads and some rainfall. This will undoubtedly slow traffic so plan accordingly today.

Although the weather today is quite gloomy, we need the rain, and it’s going to lead us into a very nice weekend. Tomorrow transitions into more of the way of sunshine and warmer temperatures. There is still the risk of a pop-up shower for a town or two, but nearly everyone stays dry so I removed mention of them from the general forecast.

I am excited about the weekend weather with the first full weekend of June looking rather spectacular as warm temperatures and abundant sunshine combine with lower humidity to make an ideal setting for outdoor activities. If you have a baseball game, a wedding or your kids are off to graduate, the weather will fully cooperate. The nice weather continues into early next week.

Thursday: Showers north of the Mass Pike with a steady rain and heavier downpours south. Highs in the mid 60s.

Thursday night: Any leftover showers end and it becomes mostly cloudy with some fog. Lows in the 50s.

Friday: Partly sunny and pleasant. Highs of 70 to 75.

Saturday: Mostly sunny with highs of 76 to 82 (cooler on the Cape/Islands).

Sunday: Sunny and warm. Highs of 80 to 85 (cooler on the Cape/Islands).

Monday: Partly sunny and warm. Highs in the upper 70s to lower 80s.

Follow updates from David Epstein on Twitter @growingwisdom.