UPDATE: Ample sunshine drove the highs to 76 degrees today here at the Sun, the second-warmest day this year. It was 74 at BWI. Nice.

EARLIER: Forecasters out at Sterling had been predicting highs today in the 70s in Baltimore, thanks to a rush of warm air from the south ahead of a cold front. But they've backed off that number this morning, looking now for a high of 67 degrees at best.

A bigger dose of sunshine could still push the mercury a bit higher. That's what they're calling for to our south, in D.C. and Southern Maryland. But for now, the coolest highs today are expected in the Baltimore region. You want lunch in the 70s at a sidewalk cafe? Head for Washington.

The rain, at least, should hold off until the evening. The approaching cold front (the blue line draped beneath the Great Lakes in this map) is bringing fitful showers with it as it shoves this mild, wet air aside. The greatest chances for rain will come Friday during the day, with breezes off the ocean. But showers will continue to hang around through the day on Saturday, especially in the northern counties along the Mason-Dixon line.

You want sunshine? Best bet for the weekend will be Sunday, after the cold front moves through. A good day to clean up around the yard, or back in the alley. The highs will stick around 60 degrees, but the sun will be warm and it will smell like spring. That's my olfactory forecast. The auditory forecast is for birdsong by day, changing to spring peepers by night.

Here's a photo bonus - a shot of Monday's partial solar eclipse, taken in Goa, India. Wow!