Hot weekend as Northeast suffers

System dumping snow elsewhere also brings us preview of summer.

The same system tormenting the Northeast with late-season snow and sleet is bringing very different weather to South Florida this weekend.

A trailing front att ached to a knot of low pre ssure more than 1,000 miles to the north is expected to fizzle and stall near Palm Beach County, pulling in westerly winds that could spike temperatures to near 90 degrees today and Sunday.

That’s a warmth more indicative of mid-July, and as much as 10 degrees above what’s normal for early April.

“We mainly have air coming from the Gulf of Mexico, then add some sunlight and it will be a light taste of summer this weekend,” said Robert Garcia, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami.

Inland areas of the county are most likely to hit the 90-degree mark, with high 80s along the coast. The record high at Palm Beach International Airport for April 1 is 92 degrees, set in 1954.

The chance of rain today is between 10 and 15 percent countywide. That will increase to 20 Check local conditions, see live radar and keep up with reporter Kimberly Miller’s weather updates. The free PBPost Weather app is available on iTunes and at Google Play. Search for Palm Beach Post WeatherPlus.

percent Sunday in areas closer to Lake Okeechobee, where the lake breeze could help kick up showers.

“It’s mostly going to be this lingering boundary on Saturday that could cause some rain in the area,” Garcia said.

South Florida could use the rain after an unusually parched dry season.

According to a Thursday report by the U.S. Drought Monitor, about 70 percent of Palm Beach County is in a moderate drought. Since Nov. 2, the county is down 7.85 inches of rain, with Martin and St. Lucie counties at an 8-inch rain deficit, as measured by the South Florida Water Management District.

An expanding region of severe drought is stretching west from Lake Okeechobee. Statewide, 40 percent of Florida is in a moderate drought, with about 11 percent in severe drought.

The lack of rain has increased the wildfire threat in South Flor-