DELMARVA --A fast-moving storm system will bring a brief period of mild temperatures and scattered rain to Delmarva today before a sharp drop in temperatures and strong winds arrive later this afternoon and evening.
Clearing skies, temperatures falling and winds will continue to gust 40-45 mph through the night.
Low pressure passing north of the region is dragging a cold front across Delmarva, with a band of light showers moving west to east through the afternoon. Rainfall amounts are expected to remain light, generally between a tenth and a quarter inch, and no thunder is anticipated.
Ahead of the cold front, strong warm air advection will allow temperatures to rise into the mid to upper 50s and low 60s across much of the peninsula. Conditions will change quickly once the front passes, with clouds clearing and temperatures falling rapidly into the 30s.
Winds will be the story, gusting 40-50 mph as a cold front pushes through.
Strong west winds will develop behind the front, with gusts between 40 and 50 mph possible. A Wind Advisory is in effect through 1 p.m. Tuesday for Delaware and continues until 10 p.m. this evening for Maryland counties on Delmarva. Gusty conditions will persist through the night, with temperatures dropping into the upper 20s to low 30s.
Wind chills Tuesday morning in the teens on Delmarva.
Windy and much colder conditions continue Tuesday as a tight pressure gradient remains in place. West to northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph, are expected through midday before gradually diminishing. A Wind Advisory remains in effect through early Tuesday afternoon. Highs Tuesday will struggle to reach the mid 30s under partly cloudy skies, with morning wind chills in the teens and low 20s.
Temperatures remain below normal through midweek as an upper-level trough lingers over the region. Wednesday will be cold, with highs in the mid to upper 30s. A passing disturbance may bring a few snow showers New Year's Eve.
Looking ahead, cold and mostly dry weather is expected to dominate through the end of the week. Highs will generally remain in the 30s, with overnight lows in the teens and 20s. A developing storm system may approach the Mid-Atlantic next weekend, but for now, only slight precipitation chances are forecast for southern portions of Delmarva.