Partly cloudy evening followed by a brilliant Friday, NWS says

A partly cloudy Thursday night will usher in a beautiful, warm Friday and a pretty weekend with a risk of Saturday morning showers, the National Weather Service said.

Friday is predicted to be mostly sunny, with temperatures around 80 degrees and calm winds. The risk of showers and storms should hold off until the overnight, when there is a 40% chance of rain, forecasters said.

Early Saturday morning may see the end of those showers as well, but otherwise it should be partly sunny with a high of 79, the weather service said.

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday should also feature sunshine but there is a chance of rain Tuesday evening and Wednesday.

Daytime temperatures over the next week will run around the mid-80s, and at night, lows in the mid- to upper 60s can be expected.

At ocean beaches, there is a moderate risk of rip currents, however, there could be stronger rip currents “along north/south oriented structures like jetties and groins,” the forecasters said.

Look for what the weather service described as, “Dry weather conditions and temperatures overall cooling to be a few degrees below normal for highs Saturday and lows Saturday night.”

While much of the Southeast copes with blazing heat from a high pressure system, upper-level troughs in the metropolitan area should fend it off.

“This will help keep the southern ridging well to the south and west, which is also where any significant heat will be located,” the weather service said.

Troughs are elongated areas of fairly low pressure. Ridges, in contrast, are elongated areas of high pressure.

Sunday’s high temperatures, the weather service said, will be “near or slightly below normal for this time of year, in the lower to middle 80s.”

After mostly sunny skies on Sunday and Monday, showers may arrive Tuesday, as a low pressure system to the north and west drags first a warm front into the metropolitan area, followed by a cold front, the forecasters said.

Those systems, they said, will be “bringing chances for showers and isolated thunderstorms later Tuesday through Thursday.”