A significant shift in weather patterns is poised to blanket the United States with unseasonably warm temperatures leading up to Christmas. While the northernmost states may experience a temporary dip in temperatures from Thursday through the weekend, a warming trend is expected to resume shortly thereafter. The Southwest region, in particular, is bracing for a prolonged period of record-breaking high temperatures, with projections indicating temperatures soaring 10 to 25 degrees above the historical average for this time of year.