Rain finally returning, but not for all of Massachusetts

BOSTON - After nearly a month of sunshine and dry weather across Massachusetts, our fortunes have changed.

Dry Boston

Boston officially went 29 days (as of Wednesday) without any measurable rainfall, the fourth longest stretch on record. The city received 0.01" of rainfall at 11 a.m. Thursday, breaking the streak.

For those looking for some water for their lawns and gardens, don't get too excited. For the next few days, Massachusetts will be on the edge of a large storm system, spinning around a few hundred miles to the east.

How much rain?

Cities and towns north and west of Boston likely won't see more than a few rogue sprinkles.

The coastline will be cloudy and cool with just an occasional bout of mist or drizzle.

The best chance of any real rainfall will be over southeastern Massachusetts, particularly Cape Cod and the islands.

Our Futurecast map shows this well with clouds over most of central and eastern Massachusetts Friday and Saturday with the rain confined to the extreme southeastern areas.

Even over the Cape, we don't expect more than a quarter to a half-inch of total water through Saturday.

Coastal Flood Watch

The National Weather Service has issued a Coastal Flood Watch for Friday morning and afternoon as well as a High Surf Advisory. During the midday high tide Friday, there could be up to 2 feet of inundation in some low-lying coastal areas. There will also be large, breaking waves at the beaches.

The coastal flood concerns come mainly due to the very high astronomical tides right now. These are among the highest tides of the year for Boston and the Massachusetts coastline.

Winds won't be a major concern, although we could see gusts between 30 and 40 mph over the Cape and islands the next few days.

Fall foliage forecast

This is a popular weekend for foliage viewing up north.

Currently, we have spotty, moderate color in northernmost areas. We are still a week or two away from peak color in the White and Green mountains.

We do not expect any rain up north this weekend, just a mix of sun and clouds. It will certainly feel like fall with highs in the 60s.

When does fall start?

Lastly, the Autumnal Equinox arrives this Sunday morning, which means the official start of fall!

This marks the sun's direct rays passing over the equator and heading towards the southern hemisphere. From here on out, you will start to notice the sun being lower and lower in the sky and the days getting shorter and shorter.