Summary: We will have a crisp and cool Thursday afternoon and evening as a high pressure system moves by to our south bringing us mostly clear skies and and gusty, cool west-northwesterly winds. A strong cold front will come through the region early Friday and bring us even colder air for Friday and Friday Night. In fact, as previously discussed, a widespread freeze is expected for Friday Night with temperatures bottoming out in the low 20s. Even though there will be considerable “lift” with the strong cold front on Friday morning, there is very little moisture to be lifted (the air is quite dry in advance of the front) so any showers associated with the frontal passage should be light and scattered. Saturday should be a beautiful sunny and cool fall day as a surface high pressure system crests over the region. As the high moves to our east on Saturday Night, the south-southwest winds on the back side of the high will push a warm front over the region with a period of rain or showers likely. It will be much milder on Sunday after the warm front passes with highs in the 60s but stubborn low clouds will likely prevent it from getting even warmer.

Thursday Afternoon

Becoming mostly sunny (<25% cloud cover). Breezy and cool.

High temperatures in the low 50s for most of the county including Pittsfield and North Adams, with only mid to upper 40s over elevated terrain and in the hilltowns. Highs will likely reach the mid 50s in parts of south county, such as in Great Barrington and Sheffield.

West- northwest winds at 10-20 mph.

Thursday Night

Clear early. Increasing clouds after midnight. Slight chance of a shower near daybreak. Probability of precipitation 20%.

Low temperature in the mid to upper 30s.

South-southwest winds at 5-10 mph.

Friday

A cold front will pass through during the morning. The accompanying band of showers will be broken and light. Probability of precipitation 40%. Any rainfall should be less than 0.05 inches. It will be mostly cloudy in the morning. There will be partial clearing during the afternoon. It will become breezy and unseasonably cool during the afternoon.

High temperatures will be in the mid 40s in most of the county, including Pittsfield and North Adams. Highs over the elevated terrain and hilltowns will only be in the low 40s and in the upper 40s in lower elevations of South County. However, these highs will be set around noon and temperatures will fall through the 40s during the afternoon, and even into the 30s by sunset.

Winds shifting from southwest to northwest and increasing to 15-25 mph with gusts near 35 mph.

Friday Night

Clear and unseasonably cold.

A widespread freeze is very likely with temperatures dropping below freezing by midnight and low temperatures should be in the low 20s by daybreak countywide. There may even be some upper teens in some of the valleys, particularly over the elevated terrain.

Northwest winds diminishing and becoming calm after midnight.

Saturday

A beautiful autumn day. Mostly sunny and cool.

High temperatures near 50 in Pittsfield and North Adams, low 50s in Great Barrington and upper 40s over elevated terrain and the hilltowns.

Westerly winds at 5-10 mph shifting to southwesterly during the afternoon.

Saturday Night

Increasing clouds with rain or showers likely developing. Probability of precipitation 60%.

Temperatures will not fall much with the cloud cover and advancing warm front. Low temperatures will be in the 40s countywide.

South-southwesterly winds at 5-10 mph.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy and much warmer with high temperatures into the 60s countywide. If we get any clearing in the afternoon, temperatures could easily hit 70.