White Plains' Forecast: Countdown to Christmas

WHITE PLAINS, NY — Bitter cold has returned to start the work week, with low temperatures Monday night expected to go to single digits in the lower Hudson Valley to around 20 across metropolitan New York City.

"So the next 24 hours are going to be a bit rough… be sure to plan accordingly," said Bill Potter of Hudson Valley Weather. "Beyond that… things begin to moderate, and we start to see signs of 'normalcy.' Tuesday is still cold … but ‘only’ about 5 degrees below average instead of 15°, then back to average by Wednesday."

So the official start of winter will see average winter temps.

If you’re heading out of town toward the end of the work week, Thursday has the greatest possibility of disruptive travel weather. Rain is possible, along with its wintry brethren — possible snow showers, sleet and freezing rain. But just for a day.

“Ground and air travel along the the East Coast looks better on Friday with dry weather up and down the I-95 corridor,” said AccuWeather meteorologist Danny Pydynowski.

The same goes for inland locations, according to the National Weather Service.

And a quick look ahead: Rudolph should have an easy night as Santa makes the rounds, according to Pydynowski.

Here’s the five-day forecast from the National Weather Service for southern Westchester:

• Today: Mostly sunny, with a high near 31. Wind chill values between 15 and 25. North wind 7 to 11 mph.
• Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 17. North wind 3 to 6 mph.
• Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 37. Wind chill values between 20 and 30. Calm wind becoming southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.
• Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 26. Southwest wind 6 to 9 mph.
• Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 44. West wind around 6 mph.
• Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28.
• Thursday: A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44.
• Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31.
• Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 43.
• Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 30.

Image via AccuWeather.com