December is running 3 degrees above normal and another week of 80-degree temperatures is in the forecast for South Florida. Six of the first eight days of the month were at 82 or above.

But will the beach weather continue into the second half of the month?

The National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center indicates that it may, with Florida remaining the nation’s hot spot through at least Dec. 22. Last December ended 2.7 degrees above normal and six of the last seven Decembers have been warmer than average as measured at the airport.

ICE STORM: The ice storm in the Mid-Atlantic States left thousands without power, snapped tree limbs and triggered widespread airport delays at Washington, D.C. and Baltimore area airports. About 100,000 homes were without power this morning from Baltimore down to northern Virginia, AccuWeather said.

The area was smacked by up to a foot of snow on Sunday before the freezing rain rolled in Sunday night and early Monday morning. Rain was expected on Monday followed by more snow on Tuesday. Weather Underground reported up to a foot of snow in parts of Delaware and Philadelphia International Airport had 8.5 inches.

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U.S. COOL-DOWN: Thanks to the unusually cold blast of Arctic air over Thanksgiving, and forecasts of more wintry weather in the U.S. in December, this may be the first year since 1993 with more record cold temperatures than record warm temperatures.