Warm December Winners & Losers

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Judging by the overall feedback from viewers, I'm getting the feeling that about 65% are in favor of this amazingly pleasant and warm December, while 35% are craving some seasonal cold and a decent dose of snow. One of the things I love about the weather is that it's a free-for-all when it comes to opinions. Everyone likes something different - but this also leads to a problem. No matter what the weather is doing, there's always a contingent that's celebrating and another that's unhappy (and letting us know about it). The same can be said when it comes to the impact of an unusual stretch of weather. There are winners and losers, and here's a look at a few as this particular meteorologist sees it.

WINNER: Your Energy Bill

This is an easy one and a win for everyone whether you love snow or not. We are shelling out a very limited amount of coin for heat this December. Heating degree days (HDDs) are running well below average. We're burning up less oil, wood, and natural gas. This can be a very large burden on many families during the winter, and so it's nice to see everyone getting a break after brutal, persistent cold last winter. We don't see much change to this pattern coming - more above average temperatures should take us right into January.

WINNER: Your Health

Have you opened your windows this month? Gone for more walks? You're probably not alone. A big reason that cold and the flu spread during the winter is because we're all stuck together inside. Having more fresh air and spending more time outdoors definitely helps out. Plus, we haven't had any of the hazards of icy sidewalks, decks, and roads. No accidents due to ice and snow. No injuries slipping and falling. The one caveat here may be down the road - more ticks and potential lyme disease if we don't get a solid cold shot.

WINNER: Travelers

The holidays are a wonderful time, but it can also be a stressful time. Wondering if flights for family and friends will get canceled. Freaking out about a trip to Philadelphia during a snowstorm. The weather can really throw a wrench in holiday plans. Plus we all have holiday parties, shopping, and other gatherings to get to. Not having to deal with any weather-related delays has been a blessing, and there won't be much to deal with next week either. Plenty of showers and bouts of wet weather, but no ice or snow anywhere in the east to produce widespread issues.

WINNER: The Construction Industry

They've still been paving roads this month...in MAINE. A fairly ridiculous sight, and crews continue to go at it with gusto this month. The ground isn't frozen and working conditions have been favorable to keep working on projects leftover from the fall or summer. Not to mention the fact that Boston is undergoing one of its biggest building booms in history. Those skyscrapers are going up without trouble. So if your new apartment isn't ready on time, don't blame the weather :-)

LOSER: The Ski Industry

An obvious one here, ski areas are none too happy with the current state of affairs. There is essentially no natural snow on the ground anywhere in New England except northern Maine. I wish I could say the cavalry was coming, but it is not in the short term. In fact it should rain all the way up past the border with Canada next week. So December is essentially a wash for eastern ski areas with all the action in the west (where truthfully they need it for a lot more than skiing). The good news is that the impact of El Nino should start to weaken as we head into January and February, so there's reason to be optimistic that there will be a recovery later in winter.

LOSER: Cold Weather Retailers

Much like summer clothes seem to appear by the time February rolls around, winter clothes were hitting the shelves by September. Most stores stock up early and like to move on early, too. But there's been no need to run out and grab that new jacket, scarf, or jacket. Nor has there been any reason to get the ice melt, snowblowers, shovels, etc. So many retailers are taking a big hit, and already starting to discount items to try and get rid of them. Sales are way down, and as is mentioned above, the cold isn't coming anytime soon.

LOSER: Our Trees

It's like a Stephen King thriller out there at night with all the winter moths that have been having a field day with the mild weather. The flying ones are males, the ones that aren't flying are females, but they're both getting together for mating season. Come spring, there may be a huge boom in the tiny green caterpillars that munch on the leaves of hardwoods. There are companies that help to eradicate these caterpillars, but damage to trees in April/May could be a bit issue for us.

LOSER: The Winter Classic?

I put a question mark on this one because we don't know exactly what the weather will be like a few days leading up to and including the Winter Classic in Foxboro. But we do know that the production crews must be starting to get a little worried. The general trend is for more mild air all the way through New Year's, which will make it tough to get solid ice in place. We'll just have to hope we get a well-timed cold shot for the event that's always a huge hit every winter.