First Alert Weather: Enjoy the sunny skies today as weekend changes triple our rain chances

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Today will be much the same as yesterday. High temperatures in the lower 90s will be accompanied by “feels-like” temperatures in the 103-105 range.

Morning and evening commutes should be mostly rain-free, although isolated showers inland in the evening cannot be ruled out.

Our winds will continue to blow from the northwest, which will favor a brief shower or sprinkle along the coast first, followed by just a few larger storms well east of the interstate by later in the day. The east-moving storms will continue to drift out of the area by late in the evening.

Friday will be a transition day for us as our winds begin to shift to the east and moisture returns. Because the shift in winds will be caused by a shifting of the high-pressure ridge in the Gulf and a cold front sinking south, our winds will be light as the pattern adjusts. This will cause an increase in storms forming tomorrow and slow motion of the storms that do form. Some heavier inland rain will be possible Friday.

Over the weekend, the moisture will continue to increase, the cool front will be on our doorstep and the southeast wind will be firmly established. This will lead to a spike in our rain chances both Saturday and Sunday. While neither day will be a rain out, both days will see an afternoon rain chance near 70%.

Meanwhile, in the northeast, hurricane watches and tropical storm watches have gone up from Rhode Island to the Canadian Maritimes as Hurricane Lee inches closer to a weekend landfall.

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