Though December has started in an unseasonably warm fashion, it’s tough to gauge how that will bear itself out over the next few months. That’s according to WeatherEye Meteorologist Paul Trambley. He explains that in most years, winter weather patterns can be projected through the El Nino or La Nina systems in the Pacific. This year, however, we’re experiencing a neutral pattern out west, meaning temperatures can fluctuate above and below normal quite quickly. Trambley expects that we’ll probably end up slightly warmer than normal. He adds the drought will probably be somewhat persistent, especially in the first half of winter.