Sun will give way to clouds ahead of season’s first nor’easter

Last night was the coldest night of the fall so far, but Friday started with sunny skies. It won’t last — that sun will give way to clouds by the end of the day, setting the stage for our first nor’easter of the season Saturday. Before the rain arrives, temperatures Friday afternoon will reach near 50 degrees, but as the clouds thicken, it will actually feel quite chilly with the lack of sunshine.

If you have plans Friday evening, there’s no need to worry about rain, as it will remain dry through the overnight hours. A storm system will continue to take shape Friday night to our south and then move northward along the coastline as a nor’easter. Remember, the term nor’easter just means that we have a storm system that provides northeasterly winds — the title itself doesn’t necessarily denote the severity of the tempest.

If you have plans Saturday that require it to be dry, they’re potentially going to be postponed or canceled. Because the rain arrives between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., it’s going to be tough to get in football, soccer, or even a round of golf. Any yard work will have to wait as well (you can thank Mother Nature).

Rain will arrive Saturday morning, according to COD Weather.

The rain will continue much of Saturday afternoon but will taper off toward dark. Saturday evening will probably feature a lot of clouds and a little bit of drizzle, but not much in the way of significant rainfall. The wind could create some travel issues, mainly in the form of delays or cancellations of smaller aircraft and at regional airports, but it shouldn’t affect commercial flights or major airlines.

Most of the strongest wind with this particular storm will occur from right along the coastline to 3 to 8 miles inland. A high wind warning has been issued for Saturday for Cape Cod and the Islands, and Cape Ann. At the coast, winds could gust above 40 miles per hour, and because there are still so many leaves on the trees, this could create tree damage and subsequent power outages. Away from the water, I’m not looking for winds to be strong enough to cause much, if any, damage.

The strongest winds will occur Saturday afternoon into very early Saturday evening before tapering down overnight. This will coincide with high tide, which occurs just after 1:30 Saturday afternoon. Those of you along the coast can expect some minor beach erosion splashover and up to 5-foot seas, although as nor’easters go this storm will be but an appetizer for what’s likely ahead this winter.

Rain will generally average 1 to 2 inches throughout Southern New England, which may cause some temporary street flooding but won’t be enough to do anything more than that. If your gutters are clogged by leaves, some of the water could spill over into the front parts of your house that are normally protected by the gutters. If you’re traveling to northern parts of the state or the Berkshires, be aware that there could be some snowflakes or sleet pellets — another sign of things to come.

Sunday will be a better day with a lot of clouds and even perhaps some breaks of sunshine. Some of the models are bringing very mild are into parts of the region, while other forecasts are keeping cooler air in place. Plan on temperatures in the 50s, and we’ll call it a pleasant surprise if we reach the 60s.

There could be a couple of showers again Monday, but certainly the heaviest amount of rain over the next three days is going to be Saturday.

If you haven’t had a chance to enjoy the foliage this season, take a look Friday, as by Sunday many of the fully changed trees could be mostly bare. In the end, that’s probably the biggest effect from our weekend storm.