Tracking a return to warmth and Christmas rain chances

TODAY: It's a bitterly cold start today, with temperatures starting in the teens for most. This is the coldest we get this week, as we're on the cusp of a warmup. Winds are calm near high pressure this morning, but the will increase from the south through the morning, leaving us warmer this afternoon. We'll reach mid-to-upper 40s under partly cloudy skies.

TONIGHT: Winds from the south continue, and clouds rolling, leaving us warmer, in the 30s, overnight.

EXTENDED: Wednesday brings more clouds, but our warmup continues. With a steady southwest breeze, temperatures reach into the 50s. We're mostly dry and warm on Thursday, with highs again in the 50s. Rain returns by Thursday night, and becomes increasingly likely overnight into Friday. This will be some scattered light rainfall. Thursday's rain chance is the first in a series of chances that roll through over the holiday week. Temperatures will stay in the 50s for highs through Monday, Christmas Day. The focus of the forecast will be on rain chances, as they are the greatest differentiator daily. Saturday is likely mostly dry, but a slim chance for showers could linger from Friday's round, or precede the next round that is expected on Sunday. Our next shortwave getting tossed to us by a larger upper level trough, arrives on Sunday, Christmas Eve, bringing a widespread chance for rain. Another round of rain is expected on Monday, Christmas Day. None of these rain chances cool us down, as winds continue from the south. This won't change until we cross to the other side of the trough of low pressure. This may not happen until Tuesday or Wednesday.