2020 is trying to go out in true 2020 fashion – weather wise, that is. It could be worse, I suppose, nothing crazy in the forecast, but several rounds of rain are expected from Thursday through Sunday. Wednesday remains dry, quiet and quite pleasant though, so enjoy!

The setting Wolf Moon over Portsmouth Wednesday morning. The first full moon of the winter season is considered the Wolf Moon.

After a chilly start to the day a bright sunrise will take us into a nice afternoon. Clouds will increase as the day progresses, really thickening up by the afternoon. By that point the southerly flow has established itself and temperatures will reach the low 50s. It’ll prohibit lows tonight from dropping farther than the 40s, but the clouds stick around and a stray shower or two is possible close to midnight.

Round 1:
Some scattered showers develop into the region on Thursday morning, likely lingering from dawn through the late morning. Expect only one or two slivers of sun to break through the clouds, but the southwesterly breeze picks up a bit too. This will warm us up to near 60° despite the lack of abundant sunshine. Most of the shower action on Thursday should be confined to the first portions of the day.

Some showers around Thursday prime us for a rainy day Friday.

Round 2:
A warm front will lift through the region on Friday morning and with it comes a solid dose of rainfall. The breeze out of the southwest continues so temperatures will again be near 60° despite the cloud coverage and rain. As of now, the morning commute looks to feature rain with some downpours reestablishing themselves by the afternoon. Towards the end of the day we’ll have to deal with the cold front. A rumble of thunder can’t be ruled out, either.

Round 3:
Finally, the last chance of rain during this unsettled stretch of weather comes between Saturday and Sunday. There will be some tweaks to the timing of this, but essentially we’ll be stuck on the boundary between warm & cold air on Saturday. Some sun filters in and we get a nice break from Friday’s rain. Highs near 70°! But another surge of moisture from the south rides along this boundary and brings the additional rainfall into Sunday morning. Clearing & drying not likely until the end of the weekend and start of next week.

By the end of the weekend the four day rainfall totals could be upwards of two inches. So enjoy the quiet weather today, before the start of the New Year is a little bit of a nuisance.

Stay stoked! – Meteorologist Steve Fundaro