Forecast: A Mild Start To 2019

The final day of 2018 is now upon us and it looks like it will end on a mild and wet note.

When we look back at this year it will be a wetter and milder year than average. It seems appropriate that we will have a rainstorm to close out the year. I can't tell you exactly where Boston will place in terms of just how wet 2018 was until tomorrow because it will be raining right up until the last minute of the year.

A storm system will move west of New England later today and you'll notice clouds increasing throughout the afternoon. Temperatures will reach the 40 degree mark late in the day and basically hold there this evening as the rain moves in. We should get by the first few hours after dark without any rain, but by midnight it will definitely be raining.  North and west of Boston the rain may start briefly as snow.  A coating is possible.

Temperatures may actually continue to rise towards morning. Any lingering showers early tomorrow will be replaced by sunshine with temperatures well into the 50s. It's not going to surprise me if a few towns nudge the 60 degree mark to start the year. The record temperature for tomorrow is 70 degrees set back in 1876 so although it will be warm, it's not going to be a record.

The first week of the new year will also feature no arctic air and it looks like any precipitation that does fall late in the week would be in the form of rain. A pattern change could occur after the middle of the month, but that is still not a sure bet.

Have a wonderful new year.  Happy 2019.

You can follow my updates here and on Twitter @growingwisdom.

New Year's Day:  Developing sunshine and mild Highs in the mid 50's.

Wednesday: Mainly sunny and chilly highs near 32.

Thursday: Sunshine and clouds. Still cold. Highs 34-38.

Friday: Sunshine and a few clouds south. Watching a rain storm possibly.  Highs 40- 45.