Another coastal storm, followed by a passing cold front and yet another coastal storm will keep our weather gray and drippy this week. The Seasonal Affective Disorder patients among us will have to hold out for sunshine on the weekend. Or fly off to sunnier climes.

On a related topic, the snow lovers along us will like the latest word from Sterling on the likelihood for some respectable snow during this upcoming El Nino winter. More on that in the next post.

For now, we're looking at rain. Or at least threatening skies, drizzle, showers and a steadier rain for at least some of us as the week goes by.

We'll start with the next coastal storm - a harbinger, some say, of the snowy winter to come. This one is drifting up the Eastern Seaboard today, bringing Central Maryland plenty of clouds and a promise of rain later today and overnight into Tuesday.

Combined with high pressure spinning over New England, the two systems will act to funnel east winds into the region, off the Atlantic, and laden with moisture. The steadiest rain is expected to our south, in Southern Maryland, where residents can anticipate as much as a half-inch of rain.

And, while there is high pressure expected once the coastal low pulls away tomorrow, the rising barometer is not expected to be able to clear the atmosphere of the low-level moisture being pumped in today. So we'll stay cloudy on Tuesday, and may even see some patchy drizzle.

Behind that we can expect the next cold front to approach on Wednesday, bringing more clouds and increasing chances for rain. Then, by Thanksgiving Day, yet another coastal storm will be brewing, delivering more rain into the nighttime hours.

Once that low passes by, cold air will move in behind it, producing a rain/snow mix in the higher elevations of Western Maryland late on Thursday into Friday. Our highs will not top 50 degrees by Friday as colder air fills in from the northwest. But this time the rising barometer will begin the clear the skies for the weekend.