Rain, Warm Temps Forecast For MD Until New Year's Holiday

MARYLAND ? After a mild Christmas, temperatures will warm from the low 50s to the 60s by Thursday in Maryland before temperatures drop into the 30s ? with a slight chance of snow. Expect rain daily Tuesday through Friday, the National Weather Service said.

The average temperature in the Baltimore area for December is 38.6 degrees, the NWS said. Most of the month has been well above that.

"The next couple of days will bring a lot of clouds and continued rain chances. However, this is to come with a gradual warmup through Thursday, before temps fall into the holiday weekend," the National Weather Service said. "Snow showers are possible each day over the Alleghenies starting late Thursday."

AccuWeather meteorologists say the latest round of damp and mild weather that made it a green Christmas for many comes thanks to a storm track over the center of the country that is pumping mild and moist air into the region. This same storm threatens to unleash a blizzard across part of the northern Plains into Tuesday.

"The far-reaching storm will slowly inch its way east into the mid-Atlantic on Tuesday and then New England by later Wednesday, bringing a return of steadier rain with continued mild weather," Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.

Here's the latest National Weather Service forecast for Maryland:

Tuesday: Showers likely, mainly before noon. Cloudy, with a high near 51. East wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Tuesday Night: Scattered showers before 8pm, then rain, mainly after 8pm. Low around 49. East wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday: Rain. High near 57. East wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Wednesday Night: Rain before 8pm, then showers likely between 8pm and 11pm, then rain likely after 11pm. Low around 51. East wind 5 to 7 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday: A slight chance of rain before 8am, then a slight chance of showers after 8am. Partly sunny, with a high near 61. West wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Thursday Night: A chance of showers, mainly after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday: Showers likely, mainly after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Friday Night: Showers likely, mainly before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 51.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 37.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 50.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 38.

New Year's Day: Partly sunny, with a high near 48.