Mild December Weather Expected For The Midwest
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Very mild conditions are expected to dominate across the Midwest this month, according to the latest forecast models from the National Weather Service.
The Climate Prediction Center at the National Weather Service said there is a 70 to 80 percent chance the average temperature in December will be above normal for the Midwest, due to a strong El Niño.
"This will be due to an upper level jet stream pattern that will likely prevent very cold airmasses from moving into the region, and any seasonably chilly airmasses from lingering for more than a few days," the National Weather Service said in a blog post.
In Chicago, the average temperature is 27.7 degrees in December, according to the National Weather Service. This year, the average temperature in December could be 5 to 7 degrees above normal if current forecast models hold.
According to the National Weather Service, every daily run of the Climate Forecast System has predicted temperatures well above normal in the area in December.
"None of this means we won't see any bouts of typical winter cold and snow in December. However, the overwhelming evidence is in support of a mild month temperature wise, so the mild days are expected to far outnumber any chilly days," the National Weather Service said.
This week should be a prime example of that. While Chicago likely will get a bit of snow Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, and temperatures were expected to linger in the upper 30s on Wednesday, the rest of the week will be milder than normal.
Tuesday's high was expected to be about 44. The same goes for Thursday; and then the weekend will be even warmer, with a high of about 47 on Friday, and temperatures likely reaching the 50s Saturday and Sunday.