Normally by December scarves, hats and gloves are everywhere to help keep out a creeping chill bringing frost and even the odd snowflake to Nottinghamshire’s doorstep.
But most of us won’t fail to have noticed one crucial difference about winter 2015; it’s not very cold.
In fact Tuesday saw highs of up to 12 degrees Celsius – the average December high in Nottinghamshire is seven.
Good for the heating bill perhaps, but why is it happening and just how unusually high are the current temperatures?
“It is a lot warmer than we’d expect it to be for this time of year,” said Emma Boorman, senior meteorologist for the Met Office.
“Actually the minimum temperatures last night (Monday, December 7) were warmer than what the maximum temperature should be at this time of year.
“We saw temperatures dipping to ten or 11 in some places overnight.”
The Met Office believes a number of world weather events, including the notorious ‘El Nino’ – a warm weather phenomenon which builds in the Pacific Ocean – are driving the temperature increases.
Picture: Areas including Woodthorpe in Nottingham experienced heavy snow in December 2014
Rupert Adams of bookmakers William Hill says it all points to bad news for people crossing their fingers for a White Christmas in Notts.
“I’m not sure you’ll be happy to hear it,” he said, “but as of today the prices are actually drifting away from what they were at their peak, so in November a lot of people thought there was a great chance of a white Christmas.
“That has since subsided and as I understand it we will have the warmest December of all time if it carries on like this.”
Picture: Notts TV’s weather forecast for December 8 to 10 is looking unseasonably warm
William Hill judges whether snow has fallen on Christmas day through a series of airport weather stations.
It doesn’t include East Midlands Airport but it currently has odds of 6/1 of the white stuff landing at Birmingham Airport on December 25.
So, a long Boxing Day walk in Nottinghamshire might mean working up a sweat.
If you’re really desperate for a picturesque Christmas, Scotland looks a good bet. Odds of snow on December 25 in Glasgow are at just 3/1.
