Forecast: Cool And Dry; Steady Rain Hits Area Thursday

Yesterday's strong winds have subsided, and it’s a chilly start to the middle of the week as we begin the second half of December.

Highs this afternoon will be seasonable, mostly in the middle 40s. Boston hasn’t seen a temperature under the freezing mark yet this month, and the only chance we have of this occurring before Christmas is Sunday morning.

After that, temperatures will once again be on the rise, peaking Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I am confident we are going to see temperatures back into the 60s later next week, and I would not be surprised if somewhere in southern New England gets very close to 70s degrees Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Before I jump ahead too far, here are some details on the next weather maker on Thursday: As a low pressure system approaches from the southwest, the system will pull mild and moist air northward. Wet roads from the storm system will likely affect the Thursday morning commute and will definitely impact the evening commute. The rain will continue over eastern areas as late as Friday morning. We are looking at another half-inch to inch of rain in some areas. The image below shows how much rain the average of the computer models is expecting. I’ll refine this a bit more tomorrow.

The weekend is looking sunny and cold. It will feel even colder than it will actually be thanks to the mild air we’ve enjoyed lately. Remember, the cold won’t last this time, as another shot of unseasonably warm — perhaps record warm — air arrives as Santa is packing up his sleigh next week.

You can follow my weather updates on Twitter at @growingwisdom.

Today: Partly sunny, with a high in the 40s.

Wednesday night: Becoming cloudy and damp. Lows in the 30s.

Thursday: Early shower then a steady rain developing. Highs 45-53.

Friday: Rain early, then remaining cloudy. Highs 50-55.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 41.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 42.