That hot and sunny stuff we've been promised is coming. It really is, the National Weather Service says.

But first we have to get through tonight. Light rain will affect the Ann Arbor area off and on through the evening hours, and thunderstorms could bring some heavy rain overnight, the weather service says.

Depending on the path taken by a narrow strip of “fairly heavy rain” headed in our general direction, the Ann Arbor area could get between one half and three quarters of an inch of rain overnight, said meteorologist Dave Gurney at the National Weather Service in White Lake Township. If that strip misses us, the total will be more like .1 to .25 inch, Gurney said.

That will be coming on top of nearly 4 inches of rain the Ann Arbor area received this week, causing flooding and a railroad embankment failure, and even turning park soccer fields into a fishing spot. This additional rainfall is not expected to cause any widespread flooding, though it could lead to some standing water on roads.

Now for the good stuff. After a cloudy start to the day Sunday, skies will clear for partly sunny conditions in the afternoon and highs in the low 80s. Monday promises mostly sunny conditions with a high near 90.

That’s good news for folks planning to march in or watch Memorial Day parades around the area, and should help to fill up local pools, which opened Saturday but had few customers. At Veteran’s Memorial Pool in Ann Arbor, only about 20 people showed up for opening day, an employee said.

It was a good day at Downtown Home and Garden though. After the rainy weather, folks are eager to get out and work in the soil, said Brian Ellison, an employee at the store.

Saturday customers were snapping up flowering plants, topsoil, compost and manure, Ellison said. “Saturdays are pretty rockin’ for us,” he said.