Eastern U.S. bracing for 1st winter storm threat

NEW YORK, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- The East Coast of the United States has yet to experience a major storm this winter season, but meteorologists are now monitoring a potential new pattern that could drive notably stormy weather to the region come January, reported The Washington Post on Friday.

"Up to this point, a combination of unseasonably mild temperatures, long-term warming and atmospheric patterns more conducive to rain than snow have contributed to a milder season," noted the report. "For some big cities, it's essentially been a winter storm drought."