Sunshine fades into colder nights before a milder Christmas week

Clear skies tonight give way to warming temperatures, light rain chances, and unseasonably mild weather heading toward Christmas.

Sunshine Today, Cold Tonight

It turned out to be a really nice winter day across the area with plenty of sunshine overhead. Even though temperatures only climbed into the low 40s this afternoon, the sunshine made it feel much more pleasant compared to recent days. This clear sky setup is important heading into tonight, as it will allow temperatures to fall quickly after sunset.

A Cold and Clear Sunday Night Ahead

Tonight will be mostly clear across the region, which means temperatures will drop efficiently. Overnight lows will fall into the mid-20s for most of the area, with a few colder spots potentially dipping a bit lower. Winds will be light, allowing cold air to settle in, especially in valleys and low-lying areas. It will feel noticeably colder than last night, so be sure to bundle up if you’re heading out late.

Milder Air Returns on Monday

To start the day Monday, we’ll remain mostly clear with a noticeable warm-up underway. Southerly winds will begin to bring milder air into the region ahead of our next weather system. Afternoon highs will rebound nicely into the low 50s, making Monday one of the warmer days we’ve seen recently.

Clouds will start to increase late Monday afternoon and into the evening as moisture moves in from the west. While most of the daytime hours will stay dry, the weather pattern begins to shift heading into the nighttime hours.

Rain Chances Increase Monday Night into Tuesday

Rain chances will move in Monday night and continue into Tuesday morning. These showers will be light and scattered in nature, not a washout by any means. Rainfall totals look minimal, generally around a tenth of an inch or less. Temperatures Monday night will only dip into the mid-40s, keeping conditions mild for late December.

As we move through Tuesday, isolated rain chances will linger, especially across southern and eastern parts of the area. Even when rain isn’t falling, expect mostly cloudy skies to stick around through much of the week.

A Mild and Unseasonably Warm Christmas Week

Looking ahead, temperatures will continue a gradual warming trend as we head into Christmas week. Highs will climb into the low 50s early in the week, then rise into the low to mid-60s by Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. While occasional light rain chances remain in the forecast through midweek, confidence is high that temperatures will be well above normal for this time of year.

ABC 36 Weather Team 36-Hour Forecast

Sunday Night: Clear and cold. Low temperatures falling into the mid-20s. Calm winds will allow colder air to settle in.

Monday: Mostly sunny to start, with increasing clouds by late afternoon. Milder with highs reaching the low 50s.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy with light rain developing. Overnight lows in the mid-40s with spotty showers continuing into early Tuesday.