Thunderstorms two days before Christmas? It’s possible in Madison

The atmosphere is somewhat primed for it, but “it looks far worse out to the west of us”, said meteorologist Steve Rowley, National Weather Service, Charleston.

The Weather Service is also watching the possibility that a storm system coming from the west after Christmas will produce rainfall amounts in excess of five inches in parts of primarily southern Missouri.

The weather outside will be frightful in the run-up to Christmas, with heavy rain expected today and Wednesday, along with the potential for flooding and even isolated tornadoes. The record high to beat in Boston is 61 and in Worcester it’s 57… we got this! Rain chances will be a little lower as we will be between the departing upper level disturbance from Friday and the next system set to arrive on Sunday. A chance of showers is predicted throughout the day, with a high temperature near 52 degrees.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. Warm again Thursday with a chance for showers early.

Christmas Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 58. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 45.

“Severe weather is not expected from these thunderstorms”, the Weather Service said.

Saturday: A chance of showers.

Highs should be around 40 on Saturday and 35 on Sunday.

Rounds of heavy rain are poised to delay travelers along the eastern United States in the final days leading up to Christmas.

The rain will likely linger into Monday morning and may not fully be gone until Monday evening. The rain could continue into Christmas Eve.

While I don’t expect a lot of rain, a few patches of light rain and drizzle are out there this morning with areas of fog. Cloudy with a high near 38.