Weird Weather Pattern Turns Weather Upside-down Across US

A weather pattern partly linked with El Nino has turned winter upside-down across the U.S. during a week of heavy holiday travel.

The unusual conditions have brought spring-like warmth to the Northeast, a risk of tornadoes in the South and so much snow across the West that even skiing slopes have been overwhelmed.

In a reversal of a typical Christmas, forecasters expect New York to be in the mid-60s on the holiday — several degrees higher than Los Angeles.

The mild conditions have helped golf courses in New England do a brisk business, but the warmth comes at a steep cost for ski resorts that have closed or confronted avalanche risks. And many Americans complain that it just doesn't feel like the holidays without a chill in the air.