The region saw a record high temperature on Dec. 24, and the same is expected for Christmas Day on Dec. 25.
But with fog, rain and a steady southwest wind blowing across Ocean City on Thursday, shoppers and visitors were unable to take much advantage of the unseasonable warmth.
Atlantic City International Airport saw the warmest Dec. 24 since the National Weather Service started keeping records there in the 1950s. The mercury hit 70 degrees around noon. Forecasters predict another record for Friday.
In Ocean City, the Friday forecast calls for a mostly cloudy day with a high near 66 degrees. Showers are likely after 1 p.m., and fog may linger in the morning. A full moon is in the forecast for early Christmas morning, but it likely won’t be clear enough to see.
A chance of showers continues into Saturday with a high temperature of 58 degrees.
Santa could bring a nice gift to local surfers on Christmas: The forecast calls for three- to five-foot surf under light southwest winds. The ocean water temperature is 52 degrees.
