Winter is here and it will feel like it in New Orleans

Today is the First Day of Winter. It officially arrived at 4:44 AM CST. We experience the shortest hours of daylight of the year. That means around 10 hours for us in New Orleans. Temperatures will actually be what they are supposed to be this time of year with highs in the lower to mid 60s and lows in the 40s. Overall, a somewhat typical Winter day in NOLA!

We will become much warmer today as the winds shift from the north to the southeast. High clouds will stream over us all day and that will give us a mix of sun and clouds. Highs will be in the mid 60s. Tonight will not be as cold with mostly cloudy skies as a cold front moves toward us. Watch out for some patchy fog into Thursday Morning. Lows will be in the 50s.

The cold front will move through on Thursday, but it now looks like we will not see much rain, if any at all. It will be mostly cloudy and still mild with highs in the mid 60s. We will become a tad cooler on Thursday Night with lows in the 40s north and 50s south.

Friday will actually be a mild day since the air mass behind the front is from the Pacific, not Canada. Expect mostly sunny skies with highs staying the mid 60s.

Christmas Weekend: Get ready for some very mild temperatures all weekend. An upper-level low will move from Baja California NE into the Rocky Mountains. This will bring southerly winds over us and they will warm us back up. Christmas Even, Saturday will be partly cloudy with highs in the mid 70s. If you are headed to church during the afternoon and evening you will not need a coat!

Christmas Day will continue to be unseasonably warm, but it will be mostly cloudy. You will not need a jacket for any morning church services. Highs will be in the mid 70s again. Last Christmas we had a record high of 82° in New Orleans. This year we shouldn't get that warm, but it will be close! So much for a cold Christmas this year!

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