NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Northeast, the world's biggest heating oil market, is experiencing its warmest December 3 in more than a decade, according to weather forecasters.
DTN Meteorlogix said the mercury in New York City, the biggest population center in the Northeast, would reach 61 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius), well above a normal high of 48 degrees F for this time of year.
The record high for December 3 in New York was set at 69 degrees in 1998, according to forecaster AccuWeatehr.com. Last year the high temperature on this day was just 42 degrees.
In November, New York temperatures were warmer than normal on all but five days early in the month, producing much fewer heating degree days than normal, according to AccuWeather.
Consumers in the Northeast use less energy to heat their homes and businesses when temperatures are above normal during the cold winter and autumn months.
But New Yorkers should not get used to this balmy weather.
AccuWeather.com cautioned that it could be cold enough to snow this weekend from New York to Washington, DC, when a storm system in the Gulf of Mexico makes its way toward the East Coast.
Several inches of snow are possible from the Virginia mountains to New York City on Saturday.
(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
