Cape Cod weather forecast: Sweet sun, then soggy Saturday?

The evidence seems clear: Wednesday looks like the best day of the week.

The National Weather Service forecast discussion tells us to expect "very pleasant weather, with sunshine and light winds," adding that "after a chilly start to the day, temps rebound nicely."

That kind of meteorological optimism is reason to celebrate, though a Wednesday party is a little tougher to pull off than a weekend fiesta. If you're working, at least take the time to step outside and say "yay!" On the plus side, sunset time has edged past 7 p.m., so there will be time to take a walk after work.

Heading into Wednesday night, we enter a chilly passage, with low temperatures hovering around freezing. And although Thursday looks mostly sunny, temperatures will struggle to make it to 40 or so. After a cold Thursday night, we'll see more sun on Friday with slightly warmer temperatures.

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What does the weekend weather look like?

I hate to break the news, but so far, Saturday is setting up as pretty dang soggy. According to the National Weather Service forecast discussion, we could see up to an inch of rain and wind gusts over 40 mph. At least it will be warmer, with temperatures in the mid 50s during the day.

Are you growing tomatoes this year? Here's a tip.

Plans for the tomato-growing season are in full swing at my house. The merits of varieties like "Geranium Kiss" and "Earl of Edgecombe" are discussed nightly. Also on the docket are ways to save money and grow great tomatoes at the same time. By the time you buy soil and fertilizer, those beautiful tomatoes might cost $10 apiece!

One way to keep costs under control is to consider growing tomatoes in food-grade plastic buckets. Here's an idea from the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension: "Though not particularly elegant, a five gallon plastic bucket with added drainage holes is a great size for tomato plants."

I experimented with this method last season with great results, using a drill to make holes in the bottom of hardware store buckets. Those kinds of buckets are way cheaper than fancy containers, and I saved on soil because it doesn't take much to fill them up. Before I put the dirt in, I inserted a large tomato cage in each one, folding up the bottom legs of the cage inside the bucket, so they stayed put.

It wasn't elegant, but the BLTs were great!

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Here is the Hyannis forecast from the National Weather Service:

Wednesday: Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 46. North wind 6 to 9 mph.

Wednesday night: A chance of rain, mainly after 5 a.m. Increasing clouds, with a low around 31. Southwest wind 9 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Thursday: A chance of rain, possibly mixing with snow after 7 a.m, then gradually ending. Mostly sunny, with a high near 41. Northwest wind 15 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 29 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 31. Breezy, with a northwest wind 18 to 20 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 47. West wind 11 to 16 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.

Friday night: Rain likely, mainly after midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 39. Breezy, with a south wind 16 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Saturday: Rain. High near 55. Windy, with a south wind 23 to 32 mph, with gusts as high as 47 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket tide charts

For tide information at 26 Cape and Island locations, visit the Cape Weather page in our eNewspaper.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod weather forecast: Some sun, then rainy Saturday?