INLAND EMPIRE METRO: Mostly sunny slightly warmer days and clear, chilly nights into mid-week. Highs into the mid 70s and the low 80s on Wednesday. Nighttime lows mostly in the 40s.

MOUNTAINS: Mostly clear and dry with winds weakening. Resort-level highs in the 40s and 50s but warmer by mid-week.

DESERTS: Mostly sunny and dry through mid-week with winds diminishing. Highs mostly in the 60s and 70s.

BEACHES: Sunny days and clear nights through mid-week. Highs in the low 70s. Surf 1-4 feet. Water 58-63.

SUMMARY: A warm, dry airmass over Southern California will exert its influence for the next several days. Nights have been the chilliest of the season but both night and daytime temperatures will be moderating.

A high pressure ridge with the off-shore winds will generate the rising temperatures. The numbers should be peaking around the middle of the week. Wednesday and Thursday will likely be the warmest days.

The dry airmass will make it difficult for anything but intermittent mid to upper level clouds to form, just enough to decorate our skies.

Correspondingly, temperatures peak Wed-Thu at 5-10 degrees above average for the coasts and deserts and up to 15 degrees above average for mid-January in the valleys, where the forecast is for highs 70s into the low 80s.

Warm, dry, and mostly clear weather is very likely to continue into the coming weekend.