Christmas weekend gets off to a nice start, but will finish on a rainy note as showers are likely on Christmas Day.

A warming trend continues for Friday as we head into Christmas weekend. We’ll get off to a warmer start — though it’ll still be in the mid-to-upper 30s — than we did on Thursday, which dipped back into the upper 20s. Temperatures Friday afternoon should once again head to the low-to-mid-60s with a mix of sunshine and high cloud cover as high pressure continues to be the main weather feature at the surface and aloft.

We have another chilly day ahead Thursday as we’ll once again start the day below freezing, though perhaps not to the degree we saw across the area Wednesday morning, when Charleston International Airport dropped to 27°, the coldest temperature this year and the coldest it’s been since December 28, 2022.

A warming trend will commence Thursday as highs head to the upper 50s under partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies as ridging moves overhead. While you’ll still want a jacket, it might not need to be as heavy!

Generally quiet weather continues through the rest of the week as high pressure remains the prominent feature at the surface and aloft. A chilly night lies ahead Tuesday into Wednesday morning, with temperatures dipping into the 20s across much of the area away from the beaches and downwind from Lake Moultrie. Make sure plants are covered and pets are inside. Temperatures warm to the low 50s — a few degrees warmer than Tuesday’s high of 51° — with mostly sunny skies featuring some transient high clouds at times.

Thursday gets off to another sub-freezing start, but the warming trend becomes more pronounced as ridging aloft strengthens further. Expect highs on Thursday to top out around 60°, once again under partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies.

Friday will still get off to a chilly start in the mid-30s, though most of us should stay above freezing as the airmass continues to modify. Highs on Friday get to the low 60s under partly cloudy skies as mid- and high-level clouds continue to move by.

We head into Christmas weekend with mostly quiet weather on tap as high pressure remains in command. After another chilly start Friday morning, we will warm into the upper 60s for the afternoon, some 10°+ warmer than what many spots experienced today.

No impediments to sleigh aviation are expected overnight Friday into Christmas morning, which is good news all around. Temperatures will bottom out about 10° warmer on Christmas morning than we will see on Friday in the upper 40s to perhaps low 50s near the coast. Highs in the low 70s will be common on Christmas Day as our warming trend continues, and we turn even warmer on Sunday as highs top out in the mid-70s after starting the day with lows that will run closer to normal highs for this point in the year.

Overall, though, no weather worries for this holiday weekend. Enjoy, be safe, and if you’re celebrating, have a very merry Christmas!