The weather outside is frightful, because it is not beginning to look a lot like Christmas. In fact, only a smattering of Americans has a shot at waking up to a fresh dusting on Friday. Temperatures leading up to and forecast for December 25 run about 10 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit above normal in the U.S. Northeast, Southeast and parts of the Midwest. In fact, this Christmas Eve is expected to register as the warmest on record in many cities along the Eastern Seaboard. That balmy air eliminates the possibility for new snow in those regions. And out West, snowfall so far is absent to low unless you're in the mountains. Blame global warming? Blame El Niño? Actually, the primary factor is likely a climatic phenomenon centered over the North Atlantic Ocean that is keeping cold Arctic air in check.
