The barometer has already headed south as a cold front approaches , pushing a fast-moving band of showers out ahead of it. They should reach us late tonight. That will set us up for a breezy day on Wednesday, with the dry, northwest winds likely to dry out the underbrush and raise the danger of wildfires.

But by late Wednesday, skies will start to clear as high pressure builds, dropping overnight lows into the 40s in central Maryland. Sunshine will boost daytime temperatures back into the 70s by Friday, but another cold front late Friday will bring more showers and a significant drop in temperatures as skies clear for the weekend.

There's yet another cold front due on Monday, Columbus Day, and by early next week we will be hard-pressed to get the thermometer past 60 degrees - almost 10 degrees below the seasonal norms.

Overnight lows will sink into the low 40s for another real taste of autumn ... and a test of our willingness to keep the furnace off a while longer.

(SUN PHOTO/Karl Merton Ferron 2006)