Tri-state residents can expect temperatures in the mid 50s when the seasons change Thursday -- a far cry from the cooler weather last year that preceded the historic post-Christmas blizzard.
Winter officially arrives at 12:30 a.m. tomorrow with forecasters expecting a high of 55 degrees, well above the 40-degree average for this time of year.
Though another Christmas storm system is forming ahead of the holiday weekend, the good news is meteorologists expect it to stay south of the tri-state area this year. (Phew.)
Forecasters predict a sunny and cool Christmas Eve, which bodes well for the highly anticipated Jets/Giants showdown at MetLife Stadium on Saturday. Christmas Day is expected to bring more of the same.
Here's a quick breakdown of what to expect over the next few days:
Today: Mostly cloudy with a few showers
High: 55
Wind: SW 5-15 MPH
Tonight: Clearing skies
LOW: 48
Wind: W 10-20 MPH
Thursday: Sunshine turns to clouds with chances of rain showers after dark
High: 56
Friday: Early rain, late clearing
High: 48
Christmas Eve: Mostly sunny
High: 44
Christmas Day: Mostly sunny
High: 45
