Maryland Weather: Nice Weekend Ahead; Fall chill next week

BALTIMORE-- The weekend forecast is shaping up to be one of the best we've seen in a long time.

Clouds will linger in the area this evening, bringing a slight chance of showers, which should end after sunset. Low temperatures tonight will drop into the upper 50s and lower 60s.

On Saturday, expect a mix of clouds and sunshine, with highs near 80 degrees. Overnight temperatures Saturday into Sunday morning will fall into the mid-50s under mostly clear skies.

Sunday will bring high temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. A cold front is expected to move into the region Sunday night, bringing increasing cloud cover and a chance of showers after midnight into early Monday morning.

The rain should clear out before dawn on Monday, so it won't affect the morning commute or children heading to school. In the wake of the cold front, expect mostly sunny skies Monday afternoon with highs in the mid-70s.

By Monday night, a surge of much cooler air will arrive, with low temperatures falling into the 40s and 50s. The next several nights will be quite chilly, with lows in the 40s for many locations from Tuesday night through Thursday night.

Afternoon highs will reach the mid-60s, but the good news is there will be plenty of sunshine. No rain is expected from Monday morning through the following weekend.

Temperatures will gradually warm up toward the end of next week, with highs reaching the 70s as early as Friday.