NOAA: Christmas Might Be One Of The Warmest On Record
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- If your number one holiday wish this year is to have a white Christmas in Minnesota, you may want to start thinking about a backup wish.
According to the maps released Monday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the entire state stands a better than normal chance of experiencing above-normal temperatures between Dec. 22 and Dec. 28. That goes especially for the eastern half of Minnesota, where the probability is 70 percent or greater.
Average highs for the week have high temperatures in the mid to high 30s.
IN fact, NOAA predicts that the entire Great Lakes and Northeastern part of the U.S. is looking at a greater than 90 percent chance for above-average temperatures.
That has some meteorologists speculating that some areas might set new records for the mildest holiday.
One of the most impressive Christmas Eve temperature anomaly maps I've ever seen at this lead time. Record Warmth. pic.twitter.com/zsZQMcYTLp
— Doc V (@MJVentrice) December 14, 2015
As of right now, Minnesota's record high temperature on Christmas Eve is 47 (set in 1909), and the record high on Christmas Day was 51 (set in 1922).
People who love the snow are wondering what to do with themselves. On Monday, WCCO's Molly Rosenblatt found winter sports enthusiasts up the proverbial creek without a paddle.