Gusty southwesterly winds will affect mainly the smaller islands through Friday, the National Weather Service said.

Winds will switch to the north late Friday and early Saturday after a cold front crosses the islands, forecasters said.

This front will move rather quickly, therefore precipitation will not be prolonged although some showers may be briefly heavy.

Trades will return for the first part of next week but then weaken Tuesday as another low passes by to the north.

Here's a closer look at what to expect as we head into the weekend:

Today: Scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79. Breezy, with a southwest wind between 16 and 23 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Tonight: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Breezy, with a west wind around 23 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Friday: Occasional showers, mainly after noon. The rain could be heavy at times. High near 78. Breezy, with a west wind between 20 and 22 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday Night: Scattered showers before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 63. North wind around 16 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 78. North wind around 14 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 67. Northeast wind around 13 mph.