Pleasant weather lingers through Friday; Christmas Eve could be wet

After a warm day on Thursday that could see high temperatures reach 60 degrees, a dry cold front will push through the Triangle overnight, setting up a partly cloudy Friday with highs near 50.

"Travel conditions on Friday will be good for much of the East Coast," WRAL meteorologist Aimee Wilmoth said. "Snow and rain could create some issues in the upper Midwest down through the Plains and Texas, and the West Coast could also see some wet weather."

AAA Carolinas expects as many as 3 million North Carolinians to travel at least 50 miles over the Christmas and New Year's holidays, a number that could set a record.

Clouds will begin to push into the region late Friday and early Saturday, and rain chances will increase once day breaks on Christmas Eve.

Rain won't be heavy or widespread, but it could make Saturday a bit unpleasant for last-minute shoppers. Highs Saturday will be in the mid-50s.

"These will be hit-and-miss type showers, and don't expect any heavy rain," Wilmoth said.

More pleasant conditions and a warming trend will return for Christmas Day.

Highs Sunday will be in the upper 50s to near 60 degrees under partly cloudy skies.

Daytime highs will be even warmer early next week, perhaps climbing into the upper 60s by Tuesday.