Dec. 17--One of the strongest El Nino weather systems on record is expected to keep Chicago's winter well above average, according to long-term forecasts released by the National Weather Service on Thursday.
The three-month forecast indicates a much better than average chance that winter will continue warmer than usual all the way into spring. El Nino is to blame -- or thank.
"The current (El Nino) event is among the strongest on record and is forecast to persist into spring 2016," according to the weather service's forecast for January, February and March.
In the short term, the Chicago area for most of the next two weeks has a 90 percent likelihood of seeing above-average temperatures, with one of the few below-average temperatures expected Friday, when highs aren't expected to get much above 30.
Temperatures are expected to start to climb again Saturday, into the mid-30s, with highs later next week coming close to 50 degrees.
That means the odds are against a white Christmas for Chicago.
