DC Weather: Sunny Solstice, Warming Christmas Forecast

The winter solstice arrived today, December 21st, with morning skies yielding to sunshine and breezy conditions. Afternoon highs reached the mid-40s to near 50, a near-average temperature for this time of year. Tonight, winds will diminish, with lows dropping into the low to mid-20s under mostly clear skies. Monday, the start of the week, will be colder with mostly sunny skies and highs in the upper 30s to low 40s, though clouds may increase late in the day.

Looking ahead, Monday night into Tuesday morning may see a spotty wintry mix or rain as a system passes to the north, with lows dipping to the low 30s. Tuesday is expected to remain mostly cloudy with a chance of morning showers, followed by a slight warming trend and highs in the mid-40s to low 50s. Overnight Tuesday, skies will clear with lows in the mid- to upper-30s.

Christmas Eve promises mostly sunny skies, boosting afternoon highs into the upper 40s and low 50s. Christmas Day, however, will see a return to mostly cloudy conditions with highs in the 50s and a chance of rain showers, dashing hopes for a white Christmas. Historically, this date saw a significant snowfall of 5.3 inches in 1962.