We're going to have to contend with some heat, humidity and a threat of thunderstorms for the next two days as we wait for a Canadian "cool" front to push its way down and dry the place out. It's already headed toward the 90s this morning in downtown Baltimore.

But once the front clears the region on Friday, we'll enjoy a terrific weekend, with some clear, dry air and daytime highs in the low 80s - about 5 degrees below the long-term averages for Baltimore at this time of year. Here's the official forecast.

Headed for the ocean? Here's the beach forecast.

We can only hope that whatever rain we get today through Friday will be as widespread as possible, and with as little storm damage as we can get away with. We are still rated "abnormally dry" in the Baltimore-Washington metro region. Here's the latest drought map, now almost a week old. Southern Maryland and the lower Shore are in moderate drought.

Rainfall numbers at BWI are not a good guide for the rain shortage in the region. A heavy downpour there last week dropped almost 2 inches of rain on the airport instruments, and the official stats belie just how dry most of the region has been. Even here at The Sun, our rain gauge has collected barely three-quarters of an inch of rain in July. The airport has seen nearly 3 inches.

Readers?  Anybody got a rain gauge? I'd love to see your reports on July rainfall in your location.