DELMARVA FORECAST
Wednesday night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 20s.
Thursday: Partly cloudy. Increasing clouds in the afternoon with rain in the evening. Highs in the upper 50s. Chance of rain 40 percent.
Friday: Rain in the morning, then clearing and windy. Highs near 60°F, falling in the afternoon. Chance of rain near 100 percent.
Saturday: Mostly sunny and breezy. Highs in the mid 40s.
Sunday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the low to mid 50s.
Monday: Partly cloudy. Highs in the upper 30s.
Tuesday: Partly cloudy. A stray shower south? Highs in the mid to upper 40s. Chance of rain 20 percent.
FORECAST DISCUSSION
Normal high: 49°F. Normal low: 31°F.
Southwesterly flow has been increasing humidity at various levels of the atmosphere, which has led to lots of clouds developing over Delmarva.
High pressure is moving off shore Wednesday evening, keeping a southwesterly flow in place, which will also keep temperatures on the warmer side for Thursday.
Thursday will start off partly cloudy, with clouds increasing in the afternoon as a frontal system approaches from the west. Winds will also start to pick up from the southwest.
Rain from the cold front and an impulse of energy from the south will not likely begin until late Thursday evening, so outdoor activities on Thursday should have no problems.
Rain will continue overnight into Friday morning. The rain could be heavy at times, with an occasional rumble of thunder, although no organized thunderstorm activity is anticipated. All of Delmarva should anticipate receiving ½" to 1" of rain.
Skies will clear out Friday afternoon, and after warm temperatures near 60°F in the morning, temperatures will fall through the afternoon as winds shift to the west and turn quite gusty. Gale watches are warnings are posted for the waters around Delmarva on Friday.
The weekend will be quiet. Saturday will be mostly sunny, but cool and breezy, with afternoon highs in the mid 40s. Sunday is milder, with mostly sunny skies and highs in the low to mid 50s.
A dry cold front crosses Delmarva Sunday night which will lead to a chilly Monday; skies will be partly cloudy and highs might not get out of the 30s.
There are no major storm systems expected to threaten Delmarva in the foreseeable future.
In the long range, temperatures are expected to average above normal, and precipitation below normal for December 24 - December 30.