The twinkling lights, mistletoe hangings, and Santa fixtures will be the only things to pronounce Christmas's arrival this year because—plot twist—the temperature for Christmas day is likely to reach or exceed 60 degrees in many regions throughout the United States. According to CNN, 75 percent of the U.S. population will be experiencing abnormal weather conditions this holiday season. Clearly, it will not be a white Christmas. I am not opposed to the above average temperatures we have been blessed with, but I am confused about the unseasonal mildness this winter has brought about.

The unfortunate news for all cold weather enthusiasts is that this winter's temperatures will likely remain above the normal seasonal averages. In CNN's report titled "Why is it so warm in December?" the article reveals "El Niño" to be the main cause of the U.S.'s disrupted weather patterns. According to NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, El Niño refers to the interaction between oceanic climates and atmospheric climates, leading to a periodic warming in surface temperatures at sea across the central and east-central Equatorial Pacific. The results of El Niño includes warmer air temps in western and central Canada, as well as northern and western U.S., wetter situations in particular regions of the U.S. Gulf Coast and Florida, and finally, drier atmospheres in the Ohio Valley and the Pacific Northwest. El Niño usually occurs every two to seven years and lasts up to 12 months, but also has the potential to last for years.

The influence El Niño has on weather patterns is significant. The one the world is currently experiencing is predicted to be one of the largest events of El Niño to date. The negative consequences of past El Niño events include droughts, wildfires, and flooding. The last extreme El Niño was in 1997 and continued into 1998, costing an estimated global total of $35 billion in destruction.

Each year, global average temperatures have been rising as a result of the carbon dioxide humanity has been adding to the atmosphere. In an article by Vox, it belayed NASA's report findings that 2014 had been the warmest year on record. El Niño tends to raise temperatures even higher, and has had many unpredictable effects on global weather patterns.

Scientist are predicting that 2015 will shatter all previous heat records, and 2016 will begin in a similar warm fashion. Ringing in the New Year will be a little warmer this year, and Christmas will be more green grass than white rooftops. Luckily, other countries throughout the world are not familiar with snow in relation to Christmas, and have created Christmas carols accordingly.

"I've Never Seen a White Christmas" is a typical Christmas tune in Guyana, and will surely give you some sort of holiday spirit!

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