Clouds rolled into Maricopa Monday morning. Photo by Adam Wolfe

Some people dream of a white Christmas, but many Maricopa residents chose to live here to avoid one. That trend may end this year, though, as Christmas temperatures are expected to drop below the freezing threshold in the evening.

According to the National Weather Service, there is a 10 to 20 percent chance of rain through Christmas Day. The temperatures are expected to stay near the mid 60s, but overnight lows should drop into the low 40s. Christmas Day however is expected to stay under 60 degrees for the high and drop below freezing overnight.

Monday is expected to see mostly sunny skies with a high near 64 degrees. The overnight low is expected to be the coldest of the week at 36 degrees, but no moisture is projected to move in overnight. The wind should remain calm near 5 mph throughout the evening as well.

A storm system is expected to move in Tuesday afternoon, but temperatures are still expected to reach 64 degrees. The forecast calls for a 10 percent chance of rain throughout the day and a 20 percent chance of rain throughout the night. The wind is once again expected to gust near 5 mph, and the overnight low should drop near 44 degrees.

The storm system is expected to stay in the area through Wednesday and Thursday. Both days have a 10 percent chance of rain and are projected to reach 66 degrees. The wind may pick up to 10 mph throughout both days as well, and the overnight lows should drop to 44 degrees on Wednesday and 42 degrees on Thursday.

Christmas Day is expected to be cloudy with a high of 59 degrees and has a 10 percent chance of seeing rain. Aside from the moisture, Christmas is also expected to be very windy. According to the NWS, gusts could reach up to 25 mph throughout the day. The wind is expected to calm to 15 mph overnight, but the rain is expected to remain.

The overnight low is expected to drop to 30 degrees. If the rain continues through the night, Maricopa residents could see brief snow flurries. Christmas commuters should watch for icy road conditions as well.

The storm is expected to blow out of the area Saturday morning and usher in a sunny but cool weekend. More information will be available toward the end of the week.