The first rain chance of the new year arrives on Saturday as low pressure along a cold front develops and approaches the area. We’ll clear out in time for a pleasant and seasonable Sunday, though.

We should get off to a rainy start right out of the gate on Saturday as showers and maybe even a few thunderstorms rumble across the area. We’ll start the day around 50°, but temperatures should recover into the low 60s by afternoon, especially if breaks in the rain develop. From there, a second round of storms should develop, but it’s still uncertain exactly how far north this line of storms will stretch. It’s this line that could bring with it a damaging wind risk, with the better severe weather chances found the further south and west you go. Keep an ear out, though, in case strong storms approach your location, especially as we are right on the bubble for the severe weather risk.

The morning high tide will be elevated courtesy of the impending full moon, but it should stay below coastal flood criteria. However, if a heavy downpour should move over downtown around this time, we might be dealing with some streets with water on them.

Showers and thunderstorms should clear by late evening as the storm system quickly moves east and away, leaving most of us with a quarter-to-three-quarters of an inch of rain. (As always, locally heavier and lighter amounts will be possible.)

As winds behind the front go more northeasterly, there will be a greater risk for some minor tidal flooding on Sunday morning. Right now the departures don’t look terribly extreme, but will be enough to put some salt water on the most vulnerable roads downtown. The rain will be long-gone, though, and the clouds will follow as cooler and drier air punches in. Expect to start the day in the low 40s, warming to the upper 50s to around 60° in the afternoon with increasing sunshine. This is pretty much right on the nose, climatologically speaking, for early January. So, while Saturday will keep us inside, Sunday offers a better opportunity to get out and about.

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