The mercury hit 71 degrees in Central Park Sunday, shattering the city’s record high for the date, as shoppers choked Manhattan sidewalks and ice skaters hit the Rockefeller Center rink wearing T-shirts and shorts.
The winter warmth allowed for a short break in the frigid weather.
“It’s a gift,” tourist Paul Perkins said.
“[We] had snow a week ago. You can’t beat Christmas in New York.”
The previous record for Dec. 22, set in 1998, was 65 degrees. Several other cities in the Northeast area reported record highs as well.
However, some people in Midtown were still dreaming of a white Christmas.
“This year the weather is crazier than ever,” said Morgan Frye of Maryland. “It’s unbelievable. December is supposed to be wintry.”
If forecasts are right, she might get her wish. It will turn more seasonable by Christmas, with temperatures hitting a high of 33 and a low of 26 on Dec. 25, according to AccuWeather.
And, despite the chance of a snow shower on Christmas Eve, most of Tuesday and Wednesday will be sunny.