Have you noticed that it is INSANELY WARM outside?

So this happened on Sunday.

It is the middle of December. It is nearly 70 degrees in New York City. These two things should not be taking place at the same time, should they?

New York is not alone. There is startling warmth in Chicago. And in DC. And, really, all over a huge chunk of the United States, as CNN laid out:

Dozens of record highs are likely to be set this weekend across most of the states east of the Mississippi River, including major Northeast metro areas such as New York and Philadelphia. Temperatures up to 30°F above mid-December averages will stretch across the Great Lakes, with double-digit above-normal temperatures stretching all the way down to Florida. For the Great Lakes and Northeast this weekend, the overnight lows will dip only as low as the normal daytime high temperatures for this time of year.

The culprit is apparently the same “polar vortex” that haunted the East Coast for so many terrible days in the past. This time, though, it’s pummeling Canadians and leaving Americans toasty. There could also be a connection to this year’s El Niño.

Whatever’s happening, you might be forgiven for thinking that the big climate change deal couldn’t have come a moment sooner.