Cold, maybe snowy days ahead; Chance of rain on New Year's

The rest of the week will be cold in the Netherlands, with a chance of wet snow, according to Weerplaza. The weekend will be milder, with a 50/50 chance of rain on New Year's, Weeronline reports.

A low-pressure area is passing almost directly over the Netherlands today, which will result in lots of clouds and rain, according to Weerplaza. On Wednesday night temperatures will drop to 4 or 5 degrees along the coast and to 2 degrees further inland as storms drift into the country from the North Sea. 

Thursday will also see showers, which may be accompanied by hail and thunderstorms. The inland parts of the country may even see some wet snow. Afternoon temperatures will be around 4 or 5 degrees. During the night, rain and wet snow will fall across the entire country, though it will switch to just rain by Friday morning. Maximum temperatures for Friday are expected to be around 5 degrees.

The weekend will be much milder, Weeronline reports. Afternoon temperatures of between 9 and 12 degrees are expected, much higher than the normal late December temperatures of around 5.5 degrees. There is a big chance of rain and strong winds on both Saturday and Sunday.

With some luck, it may be dry in many places on New Year's Eve. A precipitation area is approaching from the west, but hopefully it will only pass over the Netherlands after the turning of the year. "Whether the turn of the year will be dry is very uncertain", Weeronline writes. The chance of rain at midnight is exactly 50 percent, according to the weather service. At least it will be mild - temperatures around midnight on New Year's Eve will range from 4 degrees in the east to 7 degrees along the coast.

Last year's New Year's was much colder, with temperatures dropping to zero in the south, center and east of the Netherlands.