East coast Americans shed their Christmas sweaters on Thursday to enjoy soaring temperatures ahead of the holiday, as further south deadly tornadoes cut a swathe through rural communities.
East coast Americans shed their Christmas sweaters on Thursday to enjoy soaring temperatures ahead of the holiday, as further south deadly tornadoes cut a swathe through rural communities.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in New York’s iconic Central Park peaked at 22°C, the warmest Chri-stmas Eve since records began in 1871. In the capital Washington, tourists and last minute shoppers wore T-shirts and sat outside at sidewalk cafes as federal workers left their offices dressed for holiday parties.
High temperatures were reported as far north as Saint Anicet in the Can-adian province of Quebec, which hit 21°C, and the NWS reported that the port of Norfolk in Virginia broke its all time December record of 28°C.
The New York Times cooking blog broke away from its coverage of traditional Yuletide fare to offer “Recipes for a 70-Degree Christmas”. At Maryland’s only ski station just one of 35 trails was open, thanks to artificial snow-making machines. In 2014, the Wisp Resort’s runs opened on December 13, NBC Washin-gton reported.
But the abnormally balmy temperatures had tragic consequences in weather further south, where more than a dozen tornadoes were reported in six states.
