It's looking very likely that the London area will have a green Christmas this year.
While the city is in for a return to seasonal temperatures by the end of the week, forecasters say the mild temperatures will make a come back before the big day.
"Nothing is ever 100% when it comes to the world of weather forecasting but certainly the way things are shaping up now it is highly unlikely we are going to have enough snow on the ground to have a white Christmas," says Geoff Coulson, Meteorologist with Environment Canada. "We are looking at temperatures dropping below freezing by the end of this week and for the coming weekend. Models are also indicating temperatures will warm back up again to above the freezing mark in the days leading up to Christmas."
Normally at this time of year, the daytime high is around the freezing mark, which can make a green Christmas almost as likely as a white one.
"If you look at all the years of information we have in the London area going back to 1955 up to the present, we have a 69% chance of London having a white Christmas," says Coulson. "But if we only look at the last 20 years, going back to the mid-90's, that percentage drops down to 55%."
Last year, London had a green Christmas. This year, the city could set a record for its mildest December.
"If we keep at the pace we are at for the month of December we may in fact be in record setting territory," says Coulson. "We still have half the month left to go but the way things have been shaping up with the month so far, as each day goes by consistently being above normal and with only a few of these days in the forecast in the next six or seven being around seasonal, it does seem likely that we could be rivaling the record for mildest December."
Traditional colder temperatures and winter weather aren't expected to move into the city until mid-January.