NYC Weather: Rain Looms At End Of Week Before Christmas

NEW YORK — Getting home for Christmas might not be so fun. Rain could cap off the last work week before the holiday following sunshine and some bitter cold, the National Weather Service says.

An 80 percent chance of rain looms over Thursday night and Friday, the weather service says, accompanied by unusual warmth — Friday's temperature is expected to reach a high near 56 degrees. That's about 15 degrees above normal.

Several days of sunshine are expected to precede those showers after a rainy weekend. Temperatures will be around or above normal on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, according to the weather service.

But Tuesday will bring a frigid high near 36, with nasty wind gusts as strong as 32 MPH, the forecast says. Even colder wind chills between 15 and 25 degrees are expected that day.

It doesn't look like a white Christmas is in the cards even though some forecasters predicted one last week. Both AccuWeather and Weather.com are seeing sunshine on Christmas Day, with a high of 40 degrees.

Here's a closer look at what to expect from the weather this week, courtesy of the National Weather Service.

Monday
Partly sunny, with a high near 45. Wind chill values between 30 and 35 early. West wind 8 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.

Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. Wind chill values between 15 and 25. Blustery, with a northwest wind 17 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph.

Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 36. Wind chill values between 15 and 25. Breezy, with a northwest wind 17 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph.

Tuesday Night
Clear, with a low around 27. Northwest wind 6 to 15 mph.

Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 42. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 34.

Thursday
Partly sunny, with a high near 48.

Thursday Night
Rain, mainly after 8pm. Low around 45. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday
Rain. High near 56. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday Night
A 40 percent chance of rain before 3am. Cloudy, with a low around 46.

Saturday
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48.

Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 37.

(Lead image: People walk in the rain in New York City in April 2018. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)