Earlier this week there was talk of rain coming next week, maybe on Sunday, probably on Monday and Tuesday, but now the forecast is looking a whole lot dryer.

Forget what the meteorologists said. The wet system that appeared headed our way early next week is no longer headed our way. And since we're all rain-watchers now, desperate for some drought relief, this is bad news.

The Chronicle spoke today to National Weather Service Meteorologist Ryan Walbrun, who says that a weather system that meteorologists saw as tracking south from Alaska down over our region is now heading further east, so now Colorado will be getting our much-needed rain.

"There is still an outside chance for some very light rain on Monday," Walbrun says. And he adds, "The first week of February is looking much drier now than it did a few days ago."

Our next chance for real rain, then, will be maybe in the second week of February?

ABC 7's Drew Tuma is still leaving that chance for light rain late Sunday into early Monday in his weekend forecast, but it's not clear how much of the Bay Area might see that moisture.

Meanwhile, the sun is going to stay out, so that's nice I suppose.

High temperatures will be in the 60s this weekend, with a mix of sun and clouds on Saturday and Sunday, some cooling Sunday into Monday, and then things warm back up again on Tuesday.

Photo: Hannes Richter