The warm sun is exptected to gather Juneau in its tender embrace this weekend as the summer fades and the more mercurial autumn weather approaches.

Cooler temperatures and increased rain will come alongside more energetic weather as Southeast Alaska slides inexorably away from summer, according to National Weather Service Juneau forecaster Kimberly Vaughan.

“It’s not out of the question to see some days of nice (weather) like we’re going to see this weekend,” Vaughan said in a phone interview. “But the trend is toward more rain as we head into the autumn.”

[Montana Creek Bridge closed to all vehicles due to damage]

Not only will the weather in the coming months have more rain, it’ll also be more active, Vaughan said.

“October tends to be one of our wettest months,” Vaughan said. “Our weather tends to be more active, more storm-like.”

Juneau is currently more than 16 inches over the average precipitation for the year to date, Vaughan said. August is currently more than 1.5 inches over the regular precipitation, Vaughan said, with lower daytime temperatures than usual as well.

“Juneau right now, we’re running slightly below normal for daytime high temperatures but pretty near normal averages for overall temperatures for August,” Vaughan said.

The NWS is calling for a sunny weekend, with partly cloudy conditions obtaining through Sunday, with better chances of rain expected to return to Juneau beginning Monday.

• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at (757) 621-1197 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.

A sunny day brightens the Mendenhall Wetlands on Aug. 18 as a warm weekend belies the coming autumn. (Michael S. Lockett / Juneau Empire)