Hazardous Weather Outlook Issued For Christmas Day In NYC

NEW YORK CITY – The weather outside will be so frightful this Christmas that a hazardous weather outlook for high winds and heavy rain has been issued.

Add to that the piles of snow still melting on New York City streets and Christmas Day is likely to be a festive mess.

The National Weather Service said the bad weather will arrive the evening of Christmas Eve and stretch through Friday night.

Wind gusts could reach 60 mph, with as much as 2 inches of rain expected to drench Santa's sleigh Thursday night.

"The combination of snow pack and heavy rain may bring flooding," the NWS said.

Here's the forecast in more detail, courtesy of the NWS:

Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 44. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm.

Wednesday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a steady temperature around 44. South wind 6 to 8 mph.

Thursday
A 40 percent chance of rain after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 57. Breezy, with a south wind 10 to 20 mph.

Thursday Night
Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. Low around 45. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Christmas Day
A 40 percent chance of rain before noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 45.

Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 24.