RI Weather: Downpours, Thunderstorms Accompany Temperature Warmup

RHODE ISLAND — After an arctic start to the week in Rhode Island, springlike temperatures finally made a return Thursday. But don't head outdoors for a walk just yet, since rain is in the forecast for the next two days.

After as gray, drizzly day Friday, periods of heavy and rain some isolated thunderstorms are expected to arrive after 4 p.m., mixed with some areas of fog overnight. Rhode Island could see up to half an inch of rainfall by morning.

Expect much of the same Friday: showers and drizzle during the day before skies start to clear by nightfall. The weekend will have mostly pleasant weather, with sunshine and highs in the low 50s Saturday and cloudy skies Sunday, before rain once again moves in Sunday night.

Here's a look at the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.

Thursday
Patchy drizzle with a chance of showers before 3 p.m., then a slight chance of showers between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., then patchy drizzle with a slight chance of showers after 4 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 60. Southwest wind 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Thursday Night
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly before 2 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 a.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Patchy fog between 9 pm. and 1 a.m. Low around 52. South wind 13 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 37 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday
A chance of showers, mainly after 4 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60. West wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Friday Night
A chance of showers, mainly before 7 p.m. Mostly clear, with a low around 34. West wind 11 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 53. West wind around 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.

Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 36. West wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Sunday
A chance of showers after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. Calm wind becoming south around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.

Sunday Night
A chance of showers before 11 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. Northwest wind 3 to 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Monday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 56. Northwest wind 7 to 9 mph.

Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. West wind around 6 mph.