Crank the AC! Summer downpours and humidity make a return

We’ve started our transition to warmer air, and as Taylor Swift sings, it will indeed start as a "Cruel Summer" in this forecast. Nearly every day will feature rain, which to some extent, isn’t a bad thing.

We’ve managed to erase abnormally dry conditions across central Massachusetts, so that will ward off drought for now. So, in that respect, things have boded well.

For outdoor plans, the same cannot be said. While every day features chances of rain, it’s important to remember that rain isn’t all day. There will be ample opportunity to get outside. In fact, most of Friday looks dry for Boston and the North Shore. Midday hours will feature a line of showers to scattered downpours from the South Shore to the Cape and Islands, and most of this moves through quickly.

Clouds don’t flush out completely, and most of Friday is overcast. Humid and muggy air remain overnight, especially this weekend. Late evening hours don’t cool down much and temperatures remain in the uppers 60s to 70s. Now is a great time to add the window unit in, if you already haven’t for the season.

Saturday morning, a much larger disturbance moves overhead, with moderate rainfall rates in the morning hours, leading to downpours. It’s worth noting that showers break around 2 p.m. and skies open up leading to a climb into the mid-to-lower 80s for highs in the evening hours. This seems to be the point at which drier air will move in for the evening, although showers still pop across North Central Mass and into the Lower Merrimack Region.

Sunday starts similarly with humidity and spots of fog across the coast, but things seem okay, and dry at first. We’ll likely see evening warmth lead to widespread showers late in the day for the evening, with things dwindling by the evening. By virtue of late evening heating, and a stagnant jet stream, the pattern does seem stubborn to change, meaning the rain isn’t done by an means. In fact, it may not be a bad thing for late season blooms and planting.