As we embark upon another late-spring weekend, those with outdoor plans will again need to plan around and dodge showers and storms capable of producing heavy rain. There’s even the possibility it turns into a washout, best suited for indoor activities. And, yes, pockets of flooding cannot be ruled out.

We don’t expect it to rain every moment, but frequent waves of showers and storms are likely. Some areas are likely to get hit harder than others, but it’s not possible to pinpoint them ahead of time.

Through Sunday night, most areas should pick up 1 to 3 inches of rain, but locally more or less could fall in pockets.

Now here’s a detailed look at what we’re expecting over different time intervals.

Friday evening outlook

  • Chance of storms: 30 percent
  • Most likely window: 7 to 11 p.m.
  • Rainfall potential: None, to an inch or so in heavier storm cells

For the commute home Friday and those kicking off the weekend early, it may be dry, though very muggy, for many of us. Widely scattered showers and storms, capable of producing heavy downpours, may pop up. But there’s no trigger for widespread storms.

Short-term models suggest very limited storm activity through 5 p.m. but the potential for hit-or-miss cells between 7 and 11 p.m.

The environment is less conducive for widespread storms and flash flooding, compared with Thursday, but there’s enough juice in the atmosphere that someone could get rained on hard.

Saturday

  • Chance of showers and storms: 90 percent
  • Most likely window: Much of the day intermittently
  • Rainfall potential: 0.5 to 1.5 inches, with localized amounts up to 3 inches
  • Temperatures: Highs near 80.

As a slow-moving cold front works through the region, widespread showers and storms are likely, which may produce heavy rainfall. The National Weather Service has placed the District in its slight risk zone for excessive rainfall, which means there’s a 10 to 20 percent chance of sufficiently heavy rain to trigger flash flooding within 25 miles of any point in the region.

All the clouds and rain may limit the likelihood of severe thunderstorms with much lightning and wind, but showers and storms will be able to draw from an extremely moist atmosphere and produce heavy downpours.

It shouldn’t rain constantly, but it is going to be difficult to plan outdoor activities, given the possibility of multiple waves.

Saturday night and Sunday

  • Chance of rain: 90 percent
  • Most likely window: Intermittent throughout, possibly easing late Sunday
  • Rainfall potential: 0.5 to 1.0 inches, with localized amounts up to 2 inches
  • Temperatures: 60s

After Saturday’s front moves through, an area of lower pressure at high altitudes will become cutoff and stuck over the area, causing rain to continue periodically.

As temperatures will turn much cooler (mostly in the 60s), we’re not expecting thunderstorms but just areas of rain cycling through the region.

There may be breaks in the rain, and some modeling suggests the bulk of it will shift to the east by Sunday afternoon or evening. We’ll try to refine this forecast over the weekend.