Blue skies, warm sunshine and highs in the 70s over the Maryland Penitentiary today - which is about all I will likely see of this absolutely perfect October weather, stuck in the newsroom as I am. 

(Not as stuck, fortunately, as the folks in the Pen, under the tin roofs in the background of the photo below. The yellow-brick building is Catholic Charities' Employment Center in this view from the newsroom window. The Sun's weather station is on the pole in the bottom center of the photo. Our ginkgo trees are still a couple of weeks away from their golden autumn glory.)

If you can get outside today (and tomorrow), do it. (Some of us may even see temperatures touch 80 degrees in spots.) Because by Friday we will be under the influence of an approaching cold front.

Light rain is expected to move in after noon Friday as storms track from the Midwest into the Great Lakes. That will draw moisture in here with a warm front, just ahead of a cold front and what could be a "soaking rain" on Saturday, forecasters said.

Once the front passes later on Saturday, rain may linger a bit. But the sun will return by Sunday and we should have sunny skies and highs in the 60s going into the new week.

If you were out watching for Orionid meteors this morning, drop us a comment and let us know what you saw. Some observers are reporting rates up to 35 meteors per hour. If you slept in, and regret it, skies should remain mostly clear tonight, so you'll get another chance. Here's a gallery of 2009 Orionid meteors. 

Once again, find a spot with dark skies and a clear view in all directions. Counts will be declining for the rest of the week, but the meteor-watching should still be worthwhile. Best time to look? In the hours before dawn.