Forecast: If we can’t have a White Christmas, this weekend might be the next best thing

Today's Daily Digit

 

A somewhat subjective rating of the
day's weather, on a scale of 0 to 10.

 

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Not a White Christmas Eve but not bad either. There should not be too many complaints with near normal temps.
 
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Today: Partly sunny. Mid-40s. | Tonight: Mostly clear. Mid-20s to near freezing. | Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. Near 50 to low 50s. | Get Express Forecast by E-mail

This is a difficult forecast to give because we know so many want to see snow for the holiday. Perhaps we can at least take solace in knowing that many places with much higher odds of seeing a White Christmas – like Norfolk, Ct. at 79% v. D.C.’s 9% – won’t be seeing one this year either. And, it’s going to be pretty nice as far as a winter weekend goes around here. So, savor the time with family, as well as the presents along with good food, and at least try to also enjoy the weather!

Snow Potential Index: 1 (→) - Maybe should be 0 but there's the slightest hint of a wave to watch before another warm up late next week.

 

The SPI is a daily assessment of the potential for accumulating snow for the next week on a 0-10 scale. Get the 'SPI' on Twitter

 

Christmas Eve (Saturday): It’s cooler than it’s been but not too far from average in late December around here. Skies should be partly sunny; perhaps more sun than not during a good part of the day, but clouds can be pesky this time of year so we’ll see how well they break moving out of the morning. Highs head to the mid-40s most spots, though a real range might be low 40s to mid-40s. A north wind around 5 to 15 mph won’t be too much a bother, but maybe bundle a bit for it. Confidence: Medium-High

Tonight: Winds head toward calm after sunset and, mixed with partly to mostly clear skies, that helps temperatures become rather chilly. If you’re headed to Midnight Mass, expect readings to range from near freezing in the ‘burbs to as high as the upper 30s downtown along with light or nonexistent wind. Lows ultimately fall to the mid-20s in cold spots to near freezing in warm. At least we won’t have wind chills to deal with. Confidence: Medium-High

Keep reading for the forecast through Tuesday of next week...

Christmas Day (Sunday): It doesn’t usually snow here on Christmas, so this is a type of weather most of us can legitimately wish for. Mostly sunny skies should dominate and temperatures rise to at least 50 most spots, some even into the lower 50s. Winds from the southwest around 5 to 10 won’t cause any issues. Clouds may increase late in the day as a cold front approaches. Confidence: Medium-High

Tomorrow night: Skies may become cloudier for a time as a dry cold front passes by. With winds up a smidge, and potentially some extra clouds, it’s probably a bit warmer than tonight. We’re talking lows near 30 to the mid-30s. Winds shift back to northwest late. Confidence: Medium

Temperatures are back down on Monday behind the cold front that passes through Sunday night, but high pressure also temporarily builds in, bringing us a pretty sunny day. Highs are right around normal, mainly in the mid-to-upper 40s. Any clouds associated with the next storm should mainly hold off ‘til the overnight as lows range from the low to upper 30s. Confidence: Medium

Tuesday’s looking wet from here as the storm system slowly meandering across the southern U.S. right now finally ejects east and northeast through the area. I’d give us a 60% shot of rain for this range, though it appears a near certainty at least at times. I don’t think we’ll have to worry about any frozen precipitation, but maybe some sleet would be possible at the onset before the atmosphere fully saturates. Highs rise to near 50 or above. Winds should pick up from the northwest behind the system as well. Confidence: Medium