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Chris Becker of Washington takes advantage of the springlike weather to play with her granddaughter, Jordyn Becker, 2, at Dewey Ave. in Washington Friday.

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Justin Gaudeli, owner of Parking Lot Painting Co. in Bethel Park, takes advantage of the weather to paint parking lines at Canonsburg Town Park Friday.

John Darnley, who works in predictions, has a bold one for the holidays.

“It looks like Johnny will be riding his bike in the driveway on Christmas morning,” said the National Weather Service of Pittsburgh meteorologist. “He won’t be sled riding.”

While the forecast is constantly changing, current data points to a mild winter, thanks mostly to El Nino, characterized by warm weather that develops in the Pacific Ocean.

“A pretty strong to moderate El Nino in the equatorial region has a pretty large influence, shifting north,” Darnley said. “All warmer air comes into our region.”

Another cause of the unseasonably warm weather is the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, with a jargon-riddled definition that is based on differences in surface sea-level pressure.

“The last two winters, its been negative, with an area of low pressure that sits over the Great Lakes that allows for cold air to drop down into the eastern U.S. and bring with it cold air,” Darnley said. “This winter, it’s positive. It shifts over the Atlantic. Now, Europe is colder and we are more influenced by El Nino.”

Whatever the cause, those hoping for a white Christmas might be out of luck.

“You have to look at all these things on a week-to-week basis. If I look next week, it could change,” said Darnley. “But I’m afraid it’s not going to be white, not as of now.”

With the warm late-fall temperatures, the cold-weather recreation industry is facing a slump. In the Laurel Highlands, Seven Springs Mountain and Hidden Valley resorts have delayed their ski season.

“While winter is having a late start, our meteorologist is projecting a productive winter once we get past this,” said resort communications manager Katie Buchan.

The resorts typically open around Dec. 10 to Dec. 15, with the latest opening in the last 30 years occurring Dec. 22, 2001. Luckily, for downhill enthusiasts, the resorts don’t rely on precipitation.

“We don’t need natural snowfall, we only need cold

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