With an expected high of 78 Friday, Vicksburg and Warren County have no chance of a white Christmas.

In fact, one would have to travel to northern Wisconsin, Colorado or the most northern tip of Maine to find the white stuff this year, according to information from The Weather Channel.

For us, Christmas Day likely will bring more rain and thunderstorms.

“We’re looking for likely showers and a few thunderstorms,” said Eric Carpenter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson. “We’re not looking for severe weather, but we could get some locally heavy rain.”

He said Saturday’s forecast “looks like it will be all right, but Sunday we have another increase in rain chances. During the next several days we expect to get quite a bit of rainfall when you add it all up.”

Carpenter said the Vicksburg area should become more seasonal, turning colder, around New Year’s Day.

While December is poised to be one of the warmest on record, “we expect temperatures more typical for this time of year,” he said.

Carpenter said forecasters predict lower than normal temperatures for January and February and the remainder of the winter season.

“If the El Nino kicks in like it’s supposed, that will bring us lower temperatures,” he said. “It’s going to be very wet and getting more seasonable in terms of temperatures.”