Warmer weather coming to the York area this weekend

It might be time to bring out the shorts and T-shirts for the weekend, as the National Weather Service is forecasting highs of 59 and 60 degrees for Saturday and Sunday.

Shane Kearns, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in State College, said the record high for Saturday is 64; this Saturday the temperature is projected to reach a high of 59 degrees.

"It's getting pretty close to record territory," he said.

He said the highest for December was a record high of 77 degrees on Dec. 5, 2001, with the next warmest day being 66 degrees on Dec. 6, 2006.

Kearns said the typical average high for this time of year is around 44 degrees, making this Saturday's forecast high temperature 15 degrees warmer than normal.

"Awesome": Barry Fritsch, of Lancaster, was getting a Christmas tree Monday night with his girlfriend and her daughter at the tree lot located in the Manchester Crossroads shopping center when he heard of the unusual forecast for the weekend.

"I think it's awesome," he said, noting that it was a bit chilly.

He said it will be a good day for him to get out and drive his motorcycle.

"I'll be out riding," he said.

Fritsch also said he would be putting up outdoor Christmas decorations during the weekend.

Snow unlikely: The potential for warmer weather comes as a good sign for those who hate snow, as Kearns said it's unlikely we will see snow in the days following the warmer weather.

"I think for the next two weeks, it's probably off the table," he said.

However, this will not necessarily write off a white Christmas, according to Kearns, which he said is "too early to tell" about the possibility of snow on Dec. 25. He said the possibility of a snowy Christmas wouldn't be known until about a week or two before the holiday.

— Reach Christopher Dornblaser at cdornblaser@yorkdispatch.com