December is still running about 5 degrees below normal for the month at BWI-Marshall Airport. But it came in like a lamb, with a high on Dec. 1 of 62 degrees. And now forecasters out at Sterling say it's going to exit the same way, with a forecast high of 53 degrees on New Year's Day. Late-night revelers Friday night should enjoy temperatures in the 40s.

Temperatures on either side of the new year's arrival will be more nearly normal. Expect some sunshine and daytime highs in the mid-40s, and overnight lows in the mid-20s.

The warming trend as we hit the weekend will come as the high pressure system that's bringing us sunshine today (Wednesday) moves east into the Atlantic, and a new storm - now coming ashore in the Pacific Northwest - approaches us from the west.  Together, clockwise winds around the high and counterclockwise winds around the low will funnel warmer, wetter air our way from the south, forecasters say.

There's a 50 percent chance we'll see rain from that storm Saturday night.

The high on Jan. 1 will be only the second time since Dec. 1 that temperatures at BWI will have topped 50 degrees. The first was the 62-degree high on Dec. 1. The second was the 54-degree high on Dec. 12.

The rest of the month has been cold, with only three other dates that rose above the average (Dec. 22, 23, and 28). Thursday and Friday will also, likely, wind up above average as well. 

Our only measurable snow at BWI this month was the 1.2 inches that fell Dec. 16 (photo).  We recorded traces on five other days and had a very close call here over the Christmas weekend, while portions of northeast Maryland and the Eastern Shore saw significant accumulations. Ocean City reported 13 inches.

The coldest day of the month, relative to the averages, was Dec. 14, when the high was 28 degrees, and the low 20 degrees. That came to 13 degrees below the norm for the date. It was windy in December, too, with winds topping 40 mph on six dates.

The mildest day in December (so far) was Dec. 12. The high was 54, the low 37, and the average 8 degrees above the norm.

We're averaging 32 degrees through Tuesday. That's 5 degrees below average for the month, and the coldest December since 2000, which averaged 30 degrees.

(SUN PHOTO: Gabe Dinsmoor, Dec. 16, 2010)