A cloudy and mild day is ahead for Christmas Eve in Chicago. Tuesday's highs will be in the 40s. A few showers are possible early Christmas Day with a chance of patchy drizzle and fog. Temperatures are expected to rise into the 50s by the end of the week.

CHICAGO - There isn’t much sun in this forecast period, if any at all. Today will be cloudy with a chance for a few sprinkles near the lake. Highs will be close to 40. Tonight will be cloudy with lows in the low to mid-30s.

Christmas Eve, stores will open early, at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. Orders placed by 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 24 will be available before stores close on Christmas Eve. Macy's holiday hours stores may vary, with most stores open on Christmas Eve from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

At Yorktown Center in Lombard, just about everyone who spoke with CBS News Chicago on Monday said the act of going out and physically shopping puts them in the Christmas spirit.

Tuesday will be mostly cloudy and dry, meaning no weather-related issues are expected for holiday travel. Temperatures will be mild, in the upper 30s, on Christmas Eve.

The countdown to Christmas is on and last-minute shoppers are making the most of the remaining time to purchase those holiday gift items. The stores at The Summit in Birmingham will close at 6 p.m. Tuesday on Christmas Eve,