Great weekend ... then some crazy changes!

We're in store for a near-perfect weekend of weather in the Charlotte region and across the Carolinas.

But we'd better enjoy it, because next week looks to be full of some wild swings ... some sun, some storms, some summer, some late fall.

High pressure will take care of things nicely through Sunday.

Windy conditions could cause some problems for boaters today, but forecasters expect the stiff west breeze to abate this evening. The rest of the weekend is predicted to be calm.

Skies will be clear through the weekend, and with low humidity levels, the visibility will be great. That means sunshine during the day, deep blue skies, and a bright moon and stars at night. High temperatures are forecast to reach the low or mid 70s today and Saturday, and then the upper 70s Sunday.

Here's what to expect this weekend:

Tonight -- high school football and the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the speedway: Temperatures will be in the mid 60s at 7:30 p.m., dropping to the upper 50s by the end of the games and race.

Saturday morning (soccer, golf, tennis, festivals, whatever): Look for temperatures in the upper 40s at daybreak, climbing rapidly through the 50s and 60s. It'll be near 65 degrees by noon. Clear skies.

Saturday afternoon college football and other activities: Temperatures in the low 70s and full sunshine.

Saturday night's Bank of America 500: It could get a bit chilly. Look for temperatures around 62 to 64 degrees at 7:30 p.m., falling into the low to mid 50s by the end of the race.

Sunday: It'll be the coolest morning of the weekend, with temperatures in the low to mid 40s at daybreak. But there'll be a quick rebound, with highs soaring to the upper 70s in the afternoon.

Now ... about next week ...

Get ready for the following ...

A taste of summer: Monday could turn out to be the warmest day in weeks. Skies will be partly to mostly sunny, and highs will be at least 80 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Accu-Weather, the Pennsylvania-based private company, is forecasting highs possibly approaching the record high of 85.

Stormy weather? A strong cold front will cross the area late Tuesday or Wednesday, and the computer models are touting the development of low pressure somewhere in the Carolinas. That raises the spectre of a severe weather outbreak on the southeast side of the low. Forecasters will be watching this over the weekend.

Adios, warm weather! Some really chilly conditions will spread into the Carolinas late next week. This is seven days out, so things could change a lot by then. But if everything pans out, we could be looking at highs in the upper 50s and low 60s next weekend.