One more predominantly sunny day is in store for Thursday as stacked high pressure remains in place across the Carolinas. We’ll start the day in the mid-50s, generally around normal for April 20, before warming into the mid-to-upper 80s in the afternoon, which is ten degrees above normal. Unfettered sunshine is expected once again, with very little, if any, in the way of cloud cover. It’ll be another great day to get outside for lunch or even a nice golden-hour dinner.

We’ll see some showers at times over the next few days, but there’s going to be ample amounts of good weather, too — crucial for this High Water Festival weekend.

Showers return to the forecast later Thursday as high pressure slips offshore ahead of a low advancing northward out of the Gulf. We start dry and should get a good bit of the day in without rain, though. After starting in the mid-50s, highs will top out in the upper 70s as cloud cover increases ahead of showers. Expect the onset of rain roughly mid to late afternoon into the evening hours. It’ll be off and on, but could be briefly heavy at times. A little thunder can’t be ruled out, either. The best rain chances come after dark and persist into Friday.

We’ve got one more warm day on Friday, but changes arrive in the evening as a cold front pushes southward across the area. Showers and maybe a thunderstorm will be possible ahead of the cold front (though no severe weather is expected) as said front moves by. Timing on the rain looks to be later in the afternoon into the evening hours. Highs will peak in the upper 70s and possibly touch 80° depending on when rain begins after starting in the mid-60s for one more day.

If you’re into highs in the 80s and rain-free weather, try to take advantage of Thursday because changes are in store heading into the weekend. We’ll start the day in the mid-60s, well above normal for this point in the year, before warming back into the mid-80s for the afternoon. (The record high of 90° set in 1967, thankfully, remains safe.)

Our warming trend continues Friday ahead of a cold front that’ll arrive here Saturday evening with a few showers and storms out ahead of it. (We still look okay for the Bridge Run, though.)

Calm winds and clear skies will allow temperatures to fall quite nicely tonight, with lows bottoming out in the low 40s across much of the metro area to start Thursday. (Thankfully, not low enough to deal with frost or freeze concerns.) Full sunshine will allow temperatures to warm nicely into the low 70s, making for what should be a rather pleasant day across the Lowcountry.

We stay quite warm for Friday into the weekend. Temperatures will remain in the low to mid 80s each afternoon despite a “cold” front projected to swing through later Saturday.

A warm front will lift north of the area tonight, clearing out the light rain and bringing back the 80s to the area for the next several days. We start Thursday in the mid-to-upper 50s, with temperatures warming into the low 80s away from the slightly cooler coastline in the afternoon under increasingly sunny skies. For reference, normal highs for this point in the year are in the low 70s, though we will remain well under the record high of 87° set in 1995. Winds out of the south and southwest will be a little breezy, which might add to some slight complications for any outdoor lunch plans. Other than that, though, a pretty decent late-March day.

St. Patrick’s Day will be a warm one as southerly winds pick up ahead of a cold front. Gusts 20-30 MPH will be possible at times especially in the afternoon, which may have impacts on any outdoor activities. Expect highs almost 10° warmer than Thursday as they top out in the upper 70s. Increasing cloud cover will likely be the only thing keeping us from a run at 80°. We look to get much of the day in rain-free, though shower chances will be on the increase after sunset as the front draws closer. If your St. Patrick’s celebration extends into the night, you’ll want to keep rain gear handy.

Showers continue into Saturday morning as the front moves by. Scattered showers may continue to be an issue into Saturday evening, though I don’t see the day as a total rainout. Keep rain gear handy just in case, though. Highs look a lot different Saturday, with low 60s at best behind the front.

Skies go partly cloudy on Sunday with temperatures heading back below mid-March normals — struggling to 60° — as high pressure builds back into the area. We look to stay rain-free Sunday, so as long as you’ve got a jacket, the weekend isn’t a total wash.