We need the rain. After an extremely dry September, we have only had a few drops so far this month.

Only 1.5 inches of rain fell at Pittsfield Municipal Airport in this normally wet month, compared to the historical average of 4.5 inches.

The U.S. Drought Monitor shows most of Massachusetts and parts of surrounding states have been unusually dry since last Tuesday as it collects and analyzes weekly data. This pre-drought category includes Berkshire County. The northern coast along the New Hampshire coast and part of southwest Maine already fall into a moderate drought zone.

But the three-day holiday weekend is not the ideal time for continuous rain. On the bright side, expect a dry, mostly sunny, pleasantly mild but very windy Saturday here in the Berkshires before clouds move in late tonight.

Early risers may experience a few showers Sunday, but a storm system south of the Berkshires is expected to bring steady rain through the afternoon and evening. Rainfall totals could top an inch before ending early Monday, according to AccuWeather.com.

Stormy, cool and unsettled conditions are forecast for the holiday through midweek, according to the National Weather Service. Occasional showers are likely.

“Some snowflakes will likely mix at times in the higher elevations, where some patchy layers of accumulation cannot be ruled out,” government meteorologist Brett Rathbun said in an online post.

A gradual clearing and warm-up is expected by midweek, continuing through the following weekend.

SPECTACULAR LIGHT SHOW

Photos of a spectacular Northern Lights show from Williamstown to Great Barrington surfaced online early Thursday evening. The severe geomagnetic storm produced an impressive aurora borealis show of purple, pink and green across Massachusetts, the Cape and the Islands between 7 and 8:30 p.m

The light show even reached Texas and California. According to Boston Globe meteorologist Ken Mahan, the remarkable appearance was caused by a massive coronal mass ejection, a large ejection of plasma from the sun, that occurred earlier this week.

Geomagnetic storms are harmless to humans but can cause disruption and lasting effects on satellites, technology and communications, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

Back on Earth, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center’s extended weather outlook for October 19-25 suggests above-average temperatures and near-normal precipitation.

Daily . . .

Saturday: Sunny, very windy, high temperatures around 60°C. Clouds will gather at night and low temperatures will be in the mid 30s.

Sunday: Rain likely in the afternoon and after dark, high 50-55°, low 40-45°.

Monday: Rain early in the morning, then mostly cloudy, highs near 55 degrees, overnight lows near freezing.

Tuesday: Partly sunny, upper 40s; Mostly cloudy at night, low temperature around 32°C.

Wednesday: Partly cloudy, high 45-50, overnight low near 30.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, around 55°C. Clear at night, mid 30°C.

Friday: Some Sunshine, 55-60; partly cloudy after dark, mid 30s.

Saturday (October 19th): Sunny, mid 60s.

Sources: National Weather Service and AccuWeather.com