Today's Weather: Cold And Dry, But Quickly Milder

Skies cleared yesterday afternoon and that has set us up for a cold and sunny day today. This is really just a one-day shot of cold air with a warming trend beginning tomorrow. Winds today will be brisk and wind chill readings will stay in the teens for much of the day.

The dry weather continues up until late Thursday night and Friday, when the next weather system moves into the region.

Friday is also the first official day of winter as the winter solstice takes place at 5:23 p.m. The winter solstice marks the least amount of daylight of the year but it is neither the earliest sunset nor the latest sunrise. We've already gained a couple of minutes in the afternoon and won't start getting time in the morning until early January. The only thing that changes this week is that the difference between the sunrise and sunset starts to grow.

Friday marks a day in which very mild air will surge northward. Temperatures will actually reach well into the 50s and it's not going to surprise me if we see a 60-degree reading. If we get enough rainfall this would propel Boston into a top-10 wet year. No matter what, this is been a very wet 12 months.

Behind this weather system temperatures remain seasonably cool with no true arctic air in sight. There could be a weak weather system which brings a little bit of snow near Christmas Eve but the odds favor a green Christmas.

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Tuesday: Sunshine and chilly. Highs 30-35.

Tuesday Night: Clear and chilly. Lows 17-24.

Wednesday: Sun and cold. Highs in the upper 30s.

Thursday: Sunshine and not as chilly. Highs in the mid 40s.

Friday: Mild with showers, breezy. Highs in the 50s.

Saturday: Leftover showers possible, otherwise cloudy. Highs near 50.

Sunday: Mainly sunny and highs near 40.