It's going to be a green Christmas for many Canadians

Canadians living east of Manitoba and wishing for a white Christmas are going to be out of luck. Whether you're in Ottawa or Halifax, the weather is positively balmy.

This year will see one of the warmest Christmas Eves on record. At 15 C, Hamilton hasn't had a Christmas Eve this warm since 1964. Windsor, Ont. is expected to reach the same temperature, about three degrees higher than the last record set in 1941.

Montreal's previous high on Dec. 24 was 8.3 C back in 1957. It's currently almost double that at 16 C, making it about as warm as Los Angeles. Ottawa more than doubled its1996 record, at roughly 17 C.

These warm temperatures have shut down many of the usual winter activities, while summer attractions stay open longer. 

The ice rink in Nathan Phillips Square, near Toronto City Hall, has been transformed into a slush rink, while Blue Mountain, known this time of year primarily as an Ontario ski resort, has decided to reopen its zip line and climbing wall.

Owl's Head in Quebec hasn't opened because it's too warm to make snow.

Instead, many have been enjoying an extended golfing season, as many courses are remaining open on Christmas Eve. Falcon Ridge Golf Course in Ottawa expects 140 golfers today.

Golfers will be heading to Nova Scotia's Eagle Crest Golf on Christmas Day for a charity event for a food bank, with 18 holes going for $30.

The temperatures have led to quite a bit of confusion online about how to face an unusually green Christmas. 

Canada isn't the only one facing an extraordinary shift in weather. The U.S. East Coast is experiencing the same phenomenon, with New York City expected to be several degrees warmer than Los Angeles (or Montreal), according to the BBC.  

A "super El Nino" is to blame, according to David Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment Canada, who in a CBC Toronto report points out 85 per cent of Canadians will have a green Christmas this year. 

However, if you live in the West, winter is presenting its usual challenges. Winnipeg reached -18 C today, while two people have been rushed to the hospital in Calgary due to an accident on the city's icy roads. 

Away from the coast, British Columbia also has all the signs of a typical Canadian winter, with snow on the ground, ski resorts open and similarly slippery highways. 

But from Thunder Bay west, a few people are excited to face a Christmas where you don't need to spend an hour shovelling snow from the driveway. 

Or at least it gives you an excuse to say ...