The sun will finally shine Thursday — but how long will it last?

After Wednesday's cloudy disappointment, Thursday will finally shine. Highs bounce back to the upper 60s thanks to a light, mild southwest wind. Cloud cover stays thin from start to finish, making this the best day of the week.

Gearing up for the weekend storm means checking on the timing of the rain, the dry hours/pauses we may see, the wind potential, and the temperature spread. There are a lot of bases to cover in this autumn storm, and our weakest hand right now is still the rain placement and intensity.

For now, it appears the wettest part of the storm may be late Friday evening and night. The storm never fully develops until it reaches the Gulf of Maine and the Maritime provinces. For that reason, the pieces — including batches of rain — are still gathering as it crosses overhead.

We may be able to get into several hours of dry weather in parts of southern New England on Saturday before the rain shuts down Saturday evening and night. As a result, this doesn't appear to be a big water maker for us, with amounts staying at or around an inch.

Winds don't ramp up until later on Sunday, on the back side of the storm. Gusts could top 30-35 miles per hour at times into the late afternoon.

Temperatures, while mild (and accompanied by humid air) at the beginning of the storm, will fall through Saturday night and Sunday. Mid 60s drop to mid/upper 50s by Sunday.

It's a little rough at the Head of the Charles Regatta this weekend, but we've seen worse weekends in years past. Tacking against the gusty winds on Sunday may be the biggest challenge.

Monday appears to be the coolest and windiest day of the next few. We’ll see a gradual warming trend next week that commences on Tuesday, with a quieter pattern overall.