Tracking a stretch of dry days and near record warmth approaching Christmas

TONIGHT: Mostly clear and chilly with lows in the lower 30s.

TOMORROW: Increasing clouds and warmer with highs in the mid-50s.

EXTENDED: High pressure begins to move east tomorrow, allowing winds to shift back to the southwest and a bit more moisture to stream into the area. More clouds are expected Monday, but it will be a warmer day with temperatures around 10-15 degrees above average, rising into the 50s. An upper level ridge builds to our south, sending the jet stream well to the north for much of the week. As low level winds increase, temperatures rise steadily into the 60s on Tuesday and soar into the 70s on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Clouds build with the passage of a weak disturbance on Wednesday, but we could approach record highs on Christmas Day. The ridge begins to break down by the end of the week, with temperatures cooling to the upper 50s to near 60 on Friday. The weekend looks mild to start, but another cold front moves through between Saturday and Sunday to cool us back to near our seasonal average in the low 40s. Overall precipitation chances are low as the air masses with these fronts will be on the drier side.