NATCHEZ — Gray skies are going to clear up — that’s the latest report from the Great Mississippi Balloon Race’s official meteorologist Ernest Ethridge.

Ethridge, a former meteorologist with the National Weather Service with a 38-year track record, said he’s been watching wind speeds, cold fronts and rain formations this week, and while Thursday’s forecast calls for rain, Friday morning will kick off three sunny days of balloon race weather.

“We’re going to end up with a nice weekend,” Ethridge said. “If everything goes well, we’ll be able to get in all of our events.”

Ethridge said the only event he is not sure of is Friday’s 7 a.m. media balloon flight.

“Friday, early in the morning, we will have some low clouds and winds will shift to the north.”

Race regulations prohibit pilots from flying if clouds are lower than 1,200 feet, but Ethridge said it would be a close call on Friday morning since weather conditions would form clouds around the 1,200-foot mark.

“There’s a possibility the clouds will be at the threshold level to not let us fly, but I think we’ll be above that,” Ethridge said.

And based on Ethridge’s calculations, wind speeds will not deter racers from completing the tasks presented to them.

While consulting Ethridge, members of the balloon race committee have been keeping tabs on the weather as well, and they are excited about what they’re hearing and seeing.

“We should have a good, solid day of sunshine on Friday,” balloon race site manager Ed Godfrey said.

Godfrey, who has been site manager for 19 years, said since he began working with the race, pilots have told because of the unpredictability of the weather, even flying half of a race is an achievement.

“But odds are, it looks like we’re going to be able to fly every flight this year,” Godfrey said.

However, because of the rainstorms that have moved through the area this week, local pilot Stephen Guido said ground conditions are another factor pilots will have to compete against.

Guido, who is in charge of the committee’s pilot relations, said the ground is wet on both sides of the Mississippi River and with crops in Vidalia rotting from the rain and roads and fields full of mud, pilots will have to look for paved, solid surfaces to land.

“We’re going to have to do some smart flying,” Guido said.

And based on Ethridge’s weather readings, the smart flying will take place with light winds, sunny skies and perfect conditions for all weekend activities.

“It’s going to turn cool,” Ethridge said. There will be ideal conditions for our (balloon) glow on Friday night and ideal conditions for the barge drop.

“Just dress for (the cool weather) and get out early for the competitions,” Ethridge said.

The gates for the balloon glow at Rosalie’s Bicentennial Gardens open at 6 p.m. Fireworks will follow the glow. Tickets are $5 Friday.

All morning races are scheduled for 7 a.m., weather permitting.

Tickets are $15 Saturday and $10 Sunday.