70 degrees Christmas Day? Charlotte has a shot

Santa will be glad he rides in an open sleigh this Christmas.

Charlotte could hit a record-tying 71 Christmas Eve and then 70 degrees Christmas Day.

“Anywhere between 69 and 70 would be representative across the Charlotte area” on the 25th, said Neil Dixon, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Greer, S.C.

The record high for Christmas Day is 77, set in 1955, NWS meteorologist Harry Gerapetritis said.

The last time Charlotte cracked the 70 mark on Christmas was 1983, when the mercury hit 72, NWS meteorologist Jeff Taylor said.

Christmas Eve’s record high of 71 was set in 1982, he said.

The normal high for both days is 51.

Charlotte could hit the Christmas Eve mark, “but the record for the 25th looks a little out of reach,” Gerapetritis said.

Still, next week is expected to be far warmer than normal, with highs forecast to leap from 57 Monday to 65 Tuesday, 69 Wednesday and 71 Christmas Eve.

Showers are likely Tuesday and Wednesday, with the chance of rain falling to 40 percent Thursday night. Rain should be to the north by Friday, Dixon said. “Christmas Day is looking pretty dry, he said.

So far, this is the second warmest December ever in Charlotte, according to WCNC-TV meteorologist Brad Panovich.

Word of the possible 70-degree Christmas Day has reached Santa Claus.

Thanks to an alert from his elves here, “Santa will be wearing his ‘kool’ vest packed with lots of frozen snowballs to stay comfy while down visiting Charlotte,” said Santa Bob Elkin, president and CEO of the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas.

“Santa plans to bring an extra big cooler full of snowballs so the elves can make all the reindeer raspberry snow cones to keep the reindeer cool and happy!” Santa said via email on a busy day visiting two day care centers, an assisted living center, a corporate party and an elementary school in Tampa, Fla.

This story was originally published December 18, 2015 at 11:36 AM with the headline "70 degrees Christmas Day? Charlotte has a shot."