An Early MA December Warmup After Frigid Stretch On The Way?

MASSACHUSETTS — While this week's coldest temperatures of the season were good for ski resorts making snow and perhaps getting into the mood for holiday music, there is some relief in sight for those who are looking for more comfy conditions to finish up that fall yard work and perhaps hang outdoor Christmas lights later this week.

After one more frigid day on Wednesday — with wind chills in the 20s throughout the day — things will start to moderate on Thursday and become downright balmy for the first day of December on Friday.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the fluctuation will involve some rain, but at this point, the National Weather Service is pointing to a Friday in the 50s and a Saturday in the high 40s for all those cities and towns having tree lightings, holiday parades and the random festive pub crawl.

The NWS said winds are expected to swing around to the southwest on Wednesday night and bring temperatures up to the mid-40s on Thursday. Friday's high of 52 will feel more like late October than the first day of December — especially after the bitter mornings of the past two days — with rain approaching in the afternoon.

The good news is that the weather is expected to clear for Saturday with highs of about 46 degrees and light winds for this time of year in New England.

Rain will return late Saturday and early on Sunday for another seasonable day at 45 degrees with similar cool days with a chance of showers on tap for Monday and Tuesday.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)