Hope you're not dreaming of a white Christmas, because it's not gonna happen.

The frigid arctic air we've been experiencing in the last few days will make way for more seasonable temperatures in the 40s in the next week, so instead of snow, we'll be getting rain on Christmas Eve and early into Christmas morning.

"We're going to be seeing a moderating trend in the next seven days," says meteorologist Eric Horst, of Millersville University. "That's good news for people traveling and bad news for people who want a white Christmas."

But that doesn't mean we won't be having any winter weather headaches. 

       AccuWeather forecast

"I am definitely concerned about freezing rain overnight and early  (Wednesday) morning," says Horst. "Road surfaces are very cold right now. It was down to 13 degrees this morning, so we're set up for it to freeze on untreated surfaces."

Horst doesn't see the slick conditions continuing much beyond 9 a.m., when temperatures will be above freezing.

We could see anywhere from half an inch to an inch of rain Wednesday.

"It's going to be a damp day, so while some might call temperatures in the mid-40s mild, it could feel raw," Horst says.

Shower activity will exit the area Christmas morning.

"Skies will be clear and it will be partly sunny, with temperatures around 40 or 42," Horst says. "It will be an uneventful Christmas day, weatherwise."

While Horst cautions travelers going into Northern Pennsylvania and New York that a "significant ice event" may occur Wednesday morning, he foresees no travel problems on Christmas Day.

"It will warm up everywhere," he says.

Friday will bring more rain showers here, and temperatures will remain in the low 40s.

"If there is really one warm day this week, it will be Saturday, with temperatures getting into the low 50s, with partly sunny skies," Horst says. "It may hit 60 in the Philadelphia area."

Sunday brings more rain and a cold front, which will kick temperatures back into the 40s.

But don't think this winter moderation will last forever. By New Year's Eve, Horst says, the arctic air is expected to return.  


Staff writer Jane Holahan can be reached at jholahan@LNPnews.com or 481-6016.