It won't be looking a lot like Christmas in Mitchell anytime soon.
The National Weather Service forecast calls for a high temperature of 45 degrees today in Mitchell, then a high of 51 degrees Friday and 57 degrees Saturday. If the temperature Saturday actually reaches 57 degrees, it will be the warmest the city has been since Nov. 4, when the temperature hit 58 degrees.
It is unlikely, though, the high temperatures this week will set any records in Mitchell. The high temperature record in the city for Dec. 11 is 65 degrees, set in 1968; for Dec. 12 is 59 degrees, set in 1939; and for Dec. 13 is 63 degrees, set in 1921.
There has not been any measurable snowfall so far this month in Mitchell. It has been more than two weeks since the city received any more than trace amounts of snow, according to the weather service.
Marc Chenard, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said it's still too early to determine whether Mitchell will see a white Christmas.
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"Looking at temperature outlooks for next 14 days, it looks like we're going to be above average through that period and not have a strong signal for precipitation," Chenard said. "The fact we don't have snow on the ground now means our chances for snow are a little lower than what they'd normally be, but it's hard to get into specifics at this point."
The temperature in the region is expected to begin to cool Saturday night into Sunday, when the wind turns to the northwest and a cold front begins to push through the area. There is a slight chance of precipitation Saturday night into Sunday, when the temperature is expected to drop no lower than 40 degrees and rise to a high of 42 degrees during the day.
