NEXT Weather: A quiet start of the week and a wintry finish

NEXT Weather: Typical December weather

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- After a rainy weekend, sunshine is expected Tuesday and some on Wednesday. Highs through the middle of the week will be slightly below seasonable; with low to middle 40s for the Philadelphia region.

What's brewing: Possible major storm Thursday-Friday

By late Wednesday, clouds will be on the increase, with a front out west moving closer to the area. Now, at the same time, an area of high pressure to the north over Quebec will be sending down some colder air in our direction.

Furthermore, as the preceding front closes in, a coastal low may form, helping to send even more moisture up in our direction.

Yes, that's a lot. But what does it means? Well, a few scenarios may happen. Right now, scenario 1 brings rain to the Philly metro, with snow staying well to our north. Mt. Pocono may see some snow at first, but the coastal low with this model is strong, helping to send up milder air from the southeast. Everyone here ends as rain Friday, before clearing out Friday night.

Scenario 2: Slightly colder air filters in, as the low stays further off the coast. This means the rain/snow line may be a little closer to Philly, potentially even starting it off as a brief mix before changing to rain. The colder option also keeps a prolonged period of snow over the mountains, resulting in more accumulation there.

Late-week uncertainty: Stay tuned

Either way, this system will have to be monitored closely, as a slight shift in the track can alter who gets rain, who gets snow and how much the entire area may get. Count on the CBS3 NEXT Weather team to keep you updated throughout the week on TV, here, on social media and on our free CBS3 Weather app.

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