Unusually warm temperatures for December may set records

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) –It’s officially winter but it sure doesn’t feel like it. Temperatures have been in the 70s for much of this month, but how unusual is that?

“It’s very hot and I’m sweaty,” said 6-year-old Wilks Casper.

Many would agree that temperatures in the 70s really does not feel Christmas like.

“It feels like April, not December,” Wilmington resident Mary Casper said.

It’s not unusual to have mild temperatures in December.

“I would much prefer wearing my sweaters and scarves and boots but we are wearing flip flops and shorts which is okay but I think everyone won’t,” Mary said. “Feels like Christmas when it’s cold.”

What is unusual about this warmth is the longevity. For instance, earlier this month we saw nine straight days of temperatures at 70 degrees or warmer. This is possibly caused by the current El Niño pattern. The Climate Prediction Center says this El Niño is particularly strong, and that researchers will rank it as one of the three strongest on record.

“Fans and A/C are on full blast while we are baking our cookies and drinking hot chocolate,” Mary said.

Active and warm weather last Christmas Eve helped to produced an EF-1 tornado that touched down in Castle Hayne.

Average high temperatures in mid to late December are in the upper 50s. Back in December 2010, more than 25 days were below average.

While southeastern North Carolina has less than a five-percent chance of having a white Christmas, Mary and her son Wilks are still wishing for one.

“We got our sleds ready in the event the snow starts falling,” Mary said.

Right now, 2015 is the fourth wettest year on record, but Wilmington is very close to recording the second wettest year in history.