The Sun's new print weather page arrives Sunday

* We will be leaving the 1950s world of black-and-white behind, moving back to a full four-color display.

* Readers' most-requested feature, the national weather map, is back. It will show temperature patterns and the barometric highs and lows, cold fronts and warm fronts all across the Lower 48 states.

* A larger Maryland map will include high and low temperature forecasts for more cities and towns.

* We'll have an easier-to-navigate list of U.S. and foreign cities, with forecasts for today and tomorrow. We're also adding red indicators showing where travelers can expect travel delays. The section will also include the high and low extreme-temperature readings for the Lower 48 states, and the world.

* The Baltimore Almanac will include all the highs, lows and records for BWI-Marshall Airport. New "trend" graphics will also give readers a quick grasp of recent trends in precipitation and temperature.

* Plenty of readers also asked us to provide degree-day reports, so they can estimate how much energy they're using for heating and cooling. So we've added that, too, along with the long-term averages for comparison.

* We will continue to provide a Marine Forecast, with tide times for the Chesapeake and the beaches, wave heights and water temperatures.

* Stargazers will appreciate another new feature. In addition to the moon phases, and the rise and set times for the sun and moon, we will now be listing rise and set times for all five naked-eye planets, so they can see what they'll find in the night sky and when to look.

* And, in addition to the five-day forecast from the WJZ First Warning Weather Team, our forecasts and reports will be backed by the power and reliability of AccuWeather. Finally, the new page will continue to be anchored, at the bottom, by me (with a smaller photo, thank heavens) and the Maryland Weather Blog.

So, if you are a subscriber, we thank you for your loyalty and patience. If you're not, we hope you will take another look at the paper and consider joining us. Tell us what you think of the print weather page improvements. And if you have any suggestions, we're always listening.

(SUN PHOTOS: Weather page mockups, Frank Roylance)