Forecast: Mild End To Workweek, Chilly Start To Weekend

As you get up and out of the house today, you can expect a mild afternoon, with highs reaching the lower 70s in many locations. Cape Cod will be in the 60s.

Average high temperatures this time of the year are in the 50s, so having a day in early November that's this warm is certainly a treat. I see one more day where the temperature could near 70 and that comes on Monday, but there will be a few showers, so it won't be as easy to enjoy the warm weather.

The overall pattern is seasonable with a couple of shots of precipitation but no major storms. The cold air continues to be locked up in Canada where temperatures are in the teens and 20s.

We are entering a La Niña winter, and the typical pattern during these seasons is that the coldest air stays in the western part of the country. So far, that has been the case.

This doesn't mean it won't change over the coming weeks and months, but when you have a La Niña present off the coast of Peru, it puts pressure on the jet stream to take on a certain configuration.

A cold front will pass through the area Friday night, and it will be much chillier by Saturday morning. If you plan to be outside on Saturday you'll need to dress for November temperatures. Expect highs mainly in the lower and middle 50s, with the bright sunshine in the morning fading behind clouds in the afternoon.

A warm front will move northward Sunday and Monday and bring back — at least temporarily — the mild air.

This front also means showers. Sunday's rain should be limited to light showers and widely scattered. Later on Monday, a cold front sweeps through the area, and it's back to the seasonal temperatures after another round of showers.

Presently it appears cool, but not cold for much of next week.

Now that the leaves are almost completely off the trees in many places, it continues to be time to clean up and get ready for winter.

It's a race now between how quickly I can get the leaves off the lawn and whether it snows or not, but right now I don't see any pattern showing signs of snow.

You can follow my updates here and on Twitter @growingwisdom.

Friday: Partly to mostly cloudy but very mild. Highs 66-74.

Friday Night: Clearing and chilly. Lows 35 in the suburbs, 44 in Boston.

Saturday: Sunshine followed by increasing clouds. Cooler. Highs 52-56.

Sunday: Lots of clouds, may shower in the afternoon. Highs in the 50s.

Monday: Cloudy, showers especially in the afternoon or at night. Highs in the mid- to upper 60s.

Tuesday: Clearing and seasonable. Highs in the mid-50s.