Today's Weather: First Day Of Spring Brings Sunshine Ahead Of Heavy Rain

It's officially the first day of spring. And today, it might actually feel like it.

High pressure right over southern New England will give us a spectacular Wednesday. We’ll see lots of sunshine, dry conditions and temperatures a tad above normal.

But as the system tracks east of us later today, our winds will become more southerly. Although clouds will increase Thursday, much of the daylight hours will remain dry.

Meanwhile, jet stream energy diving to our south will cause a storm to form near South Carolina on Thursday morning and track to a position right over Connecticut early Friday.

This path keeps warmer air in place, so precipitation will be in the form of rain. Some of the rain will be heavy at times before tapering off by daybreak Friday.

The storm is expected to continue to intensify as it tracks into northern New England and eastern Canada later Friday and Saturday. It will directly affect the weather for Boston on Saturday with blustery northwesterly winds and colder temperatures. This will be short lived, however, as high pressure brings back sunshine for Sunday with temperatures rebounding into the 50s.

Today: Mostly sunny and pleasant. Highs around 50.

Tonight: Mainly clear. Low 35.

Thursday: Partly sunny with increasing afternoon clouds. Highs: around 50.

Thurs night: Cloudy. Rain starting around 9 p.m., some heavy overnight, breezy. Low 40.

Friday: Mostly cloudy. High 48. Windy and colder at night with the chance for a snow shower.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy, breaks of sun, cold. High 39. Gusty northwest winds 15-30 mph.

Sunday: Mostly sunny. Temperatures rebound to a high 54.

Dave Goldbaum is in for David Epstein, WBUR's meterologist