After Warmest Christmas Day on Record, Freakish Warmth Continues in East, South

December 25,2015
Record-breaking warmth will continue to grip much of the East and South after a Christmas Eve and Christmas Day that were warmer than any on record for countless cities in those regions.
It was the warmest Christmas Day on record in New York City, though not many creatures may have been stirring when the new record of 66 degrees was established just 31 minutes after midnight. This followed a record-shattering Christmas Eve that brought the city's warmest daily low temperature ever recorded in the month of December; the low of 63 for Dec. 24 was also warmer than lows on 30 of the 145 Independence Days (July 4) on record in the Big Apple since 1871.
Dozens of other cities established record highs for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and many also had daily lows warmer than any previously measured for those dates. The mild weather meant that most areas east of the Rockies did not experience a white Christmas.
Below we have a look at the forecast, followed by perspective on how warm this December has been so far.

Christmas Weekend: Warm Weather Pattern Returns

Warmer-than-average temperatures returned to parts of the Midwest, South and East earlier this week.
(Forecast: Chicago | Boston | New York)
Though the intensity of the above-average warmth may fluctuate in some locations, parts of the central and especially the eastern states will see temperatures 10 to 30 degrees above average through the weekend.

Forecast Highs Compared to Average

But this won't be a sunny, clear-sky type of mild weather pattern in many areas. A southerly flow of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico combined with a stalling frontal system will bring periods of low clouds and rain, leading to some travel hassles at airports and on the roads.
(FORECAST: Atlanta | Dallas | Nashville)
However, the cloud cover will also result in unbelievably balmy nighttime temperatures for Christmas partygoers. Low temperatures could stay 15 to 35 degrees above average in some areas on Saturday morning and beyond in parts of the South and Northeast.
On Thursday, dew point values rose into the 60s as far north as the mid-Atlantic, making it feel unusually humid as well. The actual air temperature has reached into the 80s as far north as parts of eastern Virginia Thursday afternoon and the Carolinas on Christmas Day.
Numerous cities will continue to break daily record high temperatures through this weekend.

Forecast Highs Christmas Weekend

Here is a look at what you can expect through this weekend:
Saturday's Record High Temperatures: 

• How many record highs possible? More than 60 of the 236 possible weather observing sites in the Lower 48 will be within three degrees of a daily record high for Dec. 26.
• What states? About 15 states from Ohio and Indiana into several states across the South.
• Potential Cities (current record in parentheses): Cincinnati, Ohio (64 degrees in 1889) | Huntsville, Alabama (70 degrees in 1971) | New Orleans (80 degrees in 2008) | Paducah, Kentucky (68 degrees in 2008)

Sunday's Record High Temperatures

• How many record highs possible? Nearly 70 of the 236 possible weather observing sites in the Lower 48 will be within three degrees of a daily record high for Dec. 27.
• What states? More than 20 states from New York to Florida.
• Potential Cities (current record in parentheses): Atlanta (71 degrees in 1982) | New York City (63 degrees in 1949) | Tampa (85 degrees in 1990) | Washington, D.C. (72 degrees in 1971)

Record Highs Set Christmas Week

Here is a look at some of the daily record high temperatures set so far Christmas week.
Christmas Day: Portland, Maine, hit 62 degrees, marking the first time any site in the entire state of Maine has recorded a temperature at or above 60 on Christmas Day.
While Portland may not ultimately be the site that cinches the new record for Maine, it was among several communities that held the previous state record of 57. Portland hit 57 on Christmas Day in 1888, but several other locations hit the 57-degree mark just last Christmas in 2014.
Naples, Florida, hit 89 to not only break its Christmas record but also tie its all-time December record high.
Based on preliminary data, new Christmas Day record highs included Harlingen, Texas (88 degrees); Fort Myers, Florida (87 degrees); Tampa and Orlando (both 86 degrees); Houston (83 degrees); New Orleans (82 degrees), Savannah, Georgia (82 degrees); Jacksonville, Florida (82 degrees); Fayetteville, North Carolina (81 degrees); Augusta, Georgia (81 degrees); Tallahassee, Florida (81 degrees); and North Charleston, South Carolina (80 degrees).
Among cities topping out in the 70s, new Christmas Day records were established at Norfolk, Virginia (79 degrees); Mobile, Alabama (79 degrees), Richmond, Virginia (75 degrees); Atlanta (75 degrees); and Atlantic City International Airport in Pomona, New Jersey (71 degrees).
Highs in the 60s were good enough for new Christmas Day records at New York City (66 degrees); Providence, Rhode Island (64 degrees); and Concord, New Hampshire (62 degrees). Philadelphia tied its Christmas Day record high of 68.
Christmas Eve: Albany, New York, soared to 72 degrees to set an all-time high for all of meteorological winter, which runs from the start of December through the end of February. It beat the winter record of 71 last set Jan. 6, 2007, and the December record of 71 set Dec. 29, 1984.
Burlington, Vermont set a new all-time record high for December (68 degrees); this also beat the daily record high temperature by an astonishing 17 degrees. Norfolk, Virginia, also set a new all-time December record with a high of 82.
Daily record highs included Columbia, South Carolina (74 degrees); New York City (72 degrees); Philadelphia (71 degrees); Boston (69 degrees); Hartford, Connecticut (69 degrees); Providence, Rhode Island (69 degrees); Syracuse, New York (68 degrees); and Worcester, Massachusetts (65 degrees).
Records for the warmest low temperature in the month of December were set at New York City (63 degrees), Philadelphia (62 degrees) and Washington, D.C. (60 at Reagan National Airport), among others.
Wednesday: Buffalo (61 degrees); Cleveland (64 degrees); Detroit (58 degrees); Pittsburgh (64 degrees); Indianapolis (64 degrees - tie); Milwaukee (58 degrees); Muskegon, Michigan (62 degrees); Moline, Illinois (60 degrees); Tallahassee, Florida (82 degrees - tie); Traverse City, Michigan (57 degrees);
Tuesday: Nashville (70 degrees); Memphis (70 degrees tied).
Monday: St. Louis (67 degrees tied); West Plains, Missouri (69 degrees); Springfield, Illinois (64 degrees); Peoria, Illinois (60 degrees tied); Naples, Florida (87 degrees tied).

December Record Warmth So Far

According to preliminary data from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), at least 2,693 record daily highs were tied or broken across the U.S. during the first 23 days of December. An additional 3,912 record-warm daily low temperatures have been set during the same time period.
By comparison, just 147 daily record lows and 140 additional record cool highs were set in the same time frame.

Record Temperature Tracker

Why Is It So Warm Christmas Weekend?

Clockwise flow around high pressure in the western Atlantic will allow southerly surface winds to dominate the East this weekend, pumping warm air from the tropics northward. Southerly winds ahead of a couple of low-pressure systems moving across the country this week will also help pump in the mild, moist air from the south.
Winter Storm Goliath will work to pump more warm air across much of the Mississippi Valley and East through the weekend. As Goliath moves into the Tennessee Valley and Ohio Valley early next week, those locations east of the storm will remain unusually warm, while somewhat cooler air will be felt to the northwest.
There are signs that temperatures in the Midwest and East could slowly return back to near seasonable levels toward the middle and latter portion of next week.
(MORE: Cooler Weather Returns Next Week)

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