Hopefully you were able to enjoy some of the sunshine from Sunday, since cloud cover will be the going trend for much of the next week! Starting overnight, clouds will build in from the West, holding temperatures steady or even pushing them back to the low 30s by morning.
Afternoon highs Monday will only reach back to the upper 30s for most, and some of the clouds may produce a spotty sprinkle or two during the afternoon. There is a very small chance for a brief spot of light wintry mix is possible but impacts to roadways will remain negligible. A few brief pockets of sunshine may be possible Tuesday, but it won't last long if we see any sun at all.
Low-level cloud cover will then filter in over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. One of the ways meteorologists can pinpoint the level of clouds is through a forecast sounding, or a vertical profile of the atmosphere. Below is an example of what a sounding may look like around Christmas, highlighting the moisture in the lower levels and an "inversion" of warmer air just above the surface trapping the moisture in place. Drier air will be present in the mid-levels, but it will not be able to mix down to the surface with the inversion blocking it above.
Translated to the ground, that means we will see lots of clouds, with periods of drizzle or even fog possible beginning Christmas Eve and likely into Christmas Day as well. Any precipitation that falls out of the sky will be light in nature, but fog could limit visibility at times, especially early Christmas morning!
Another impact the clouds could have will be with holding temperatures down, particularly Christmas Eve. A warm front will be eventually pushing through the region late afternoon on Christmas, which will push temperatures into the 50s once it passes. But the early half of the day may start even 10-15° cooler than the evening will finish. Behind this passing low pressure system, the following weekend looks to be cooler with temperatures returning to the 30s by next Sunday.
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