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Another factor in energy costs that may keep oil and gas prices low is the prevalence of unusually warm weather. Daytime temperatures will not be below freezing anywhere in the United States today, with the exception of northern Minnesota. The Weather.com 30-day temperature forecast shows more than half the nation will experience higher-than-normal temperatures. Only the area around Florida is expected to be lower than normal.

And the number of areas that expect record temperature averages for the entire year continues to rise. Weather.com reports:

The warmest year on record is a virtual certainty in the Lower 48 states this year as NOAA and weather.com reported earlier this month.

While that covers the nation, Climate Central has localized this story by illustrating New York City’s chance at the warmest year on record in the graphic above. Through November, the average temperature for the year in the Big Apple was tracking very close to the warmest year ever recorded in the city set in 1991, 1990 and 1998.

Douglas A. McIntyre