11:20 a.m. update: We’ve been fortunate to see a good deal of sunshine this morning. Clouds are still likely to increase with time, from west to east, but the day may end up sunnier than not in the end. Let’s call it an early gift.

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       Original post from 5:00 a.m...

       Today’s daily digit

       A somewhat subjective rating of the day’s weather, on a scale of 0 to 10.

       7/10: It’s milder and cloudier than Thursday, and merely a sprinkle is possible as Santa preps his sleigh.

       Express forecast

       Today: More clouds than sun. Highs: 52-58. Tonight: Increasing shower chance. Lows: 40s. Tomorrow: Partial clouds. Rain chance. Highs: 61-68. Sunday: Sunny. Some breeze. Highs: Upper 50s to low 60s.

       Forecast in detail

       Cloudiness wins over slight sunshine today but it’s still a good travel day with only a sprinkle possible. Any rain tonight and into Christmas Day should generally stay spotty, light and short-lived. A warming trend starts today and peaks tomorrow, ending as we start the workweek.

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       Christmas Eve (Friday): Partly to mostly cloudy skies. High temperatures aim for the 52- to 58-degree range (about 10 degrees above average) thanks to sufficient peeks of sunshine and a stream of milder air riding in on a southerly breeze. A few gusts early could be above 15 mph, but the breeze should lighten by afternoon. Confidence: Medium-High

       Tonight: Low temperatures aim to bottom out in the 40s but may rise a few degrees as we get toward dawn, thanks to steadier southwesterly breezes. A sprinkle or passing shower is possible, as skies stay mostly cloudy. Nothing to prevent Santa’s deliveries! Confidence: Medium-High

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       Christmas (Saturday): There are clouds at times but a bit more sun perhaps than Christmas Eve. A quick shower or two is possible. Nothing too noteworthy. South-southwest breezes may gust near 20 mph as they help pump in warm high temperatures into the 61- to 68-degree range. Confidence: Medium-High

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       Tomorrow night: A shower or two remains possible through the evening as a cold front slips into the area. Skies slowly try to clear out some of the clouds with time. Low temperatures depend on the timing of the front, but we may be able to cool into the 40s. Denser, urban locations could stay in the low 50s if the front slows down a bit. Breezes could gust a couple times near 20 mph as they shift from southwest to northwest. Confidence: Medium

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       Sunday: We should be sunny and rain-free behind the weak cold front. Dry air, but not yet chilly stuff, is moving in on moderate northwesterly breezes. Afternoon temperatures may peak in the upper 50s to low 60s. Confidence: Medium

       A look ahead

       Sunday night: Clouds return, and we may see a shower before dawn. Low temperatures cool into the mid-30s to near 40 degrees. Confidence: Medium

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       Cooler, cloudier and showery conditions return Monday and Tuesday. Temperature levels have some question marks but if we see an easterly fetch of wind off the Atlantic on Monday, we could stay as cool as the mid-40s. Tuesday may see a slight interruption in this cool, moist Atlantic air, allowing temperatures to aim as high as the mid-50s with perhaps more sunshine peeks. Stay tuned as we get closer. Confidence: Low-Medium

       Read more about Capital Weather Gang’s confidence rating.