While Wednesday was cold and raw, we didn't see much in the way of actual rain.

Today is a different story. Showers will become numerous in the afternoon, peaking in the evening.

The rain won't last, however, as a much warmer forecast with plenty of sunshine will close out the weekend.

A warm front and later, a cold front, crosses the region today. Each of these fronts will bring showers — even some heavy rain. There could also even be the rumble of thunder.

When all is said and done, 1 to 2 inches of rain will have fallen in about a six- to nine-hour window. This is enough rain to have prompted the National Weather Service to post flood watches and warnings in some local areas.

Showers move into the area on Thursday in two waves, ending Thursday night. (Courtesy Tropical Tidbits)

Flooding won't necessarily be much of an issue for most people in the region. The type of flooding we are focused on today is minor stream and creek flooding, as well as street and basement flooding. If your basement sometimes lets in water during heavy rainstorms, today may be one of those days.

Major rivers are not going to have extreme flooding issues. Again, any flooding will be minor, impacting only small areas. And while TV news outlets may show reporters standing in rivers, you need not worry that slowly rising waters will be a big deal today.

Cloudy skies close out the work week with some sunshine mixing with clouds on Saturday. The jet stream begins to change configuration at this time, and eventually, it will allow much warmer air to arrive next week.

You can follow my updates here and on Twitter @growingwisdom.

Thursday: Rain showers return, some evening downpours. Gusty winds. Highs in the lower to mid-40s.

Thursday Night: Showers, then cloudy. Lows 40-45.

Friday: Cloudy and cool. A brief shower. Highs in the mid-40s.

Saturday: Partly cloudy and still cool. Highs near 50.

Sunday: Sunshine returns with warmer temperatures. Highs 56-63.

Monday: Lots of sunshine. Highs 65-70, but cooler on the Cape and the Islands.