Forget buttoning up your overcoat. In fact, you just might throw on a heavy sweater instead. Weather forecasters say the mild weather will likely last through January.

According to AccuWeather, warmer than normal tropical Pacific waters will continue to create mild weather in the central and eastern United States for at least a couple of months. The phenomenon, known as El Nino, can last for several months or even a couple of years, impacting weather patterns around the world, AccuWeather says.“We see impressive signals that the overall mild pattern that got rolling in the Central and Eastern states during October and November will hold through December and into January,” said AccuWeather Chief Long Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok.“El Niño is contributing to a strong belt of westerly winds across Canada that will help keep the polar vortex strong but locked up near the Arctic Circle,” he said.The weather this weekend is expected to be sunny, with highs in the low 50s, according to the National Weather Service.Mild temperatures have been the norm over the past several years. The temperature in the Lehighton area a year ago today was about 39 degrees, according to U.S. Climate Data.In 2013 it was 52, and in 2012, it was 63 degrees. In 2011 it was about 50 degrees, while in 2010 it was a more typical 37 degrees.The pattern means cold and snowy days will be infrequent in the central and eastern United States, AccuWeather says.As temperatures naturally dip into January, some storms may still produce substantial snow, especially in the northern tier, in the Appalachians and the Central states. However, the snow may not lay around very long as temperatures may not remain cold enough.The mild conditions produced during a strong El Niño can limit the amount of snow that falls from storms along the Atlantic Seaboard.During the strong El Niño of 1972-73, Philadelphia did not receive measurable snow during the entire winter. Measurable snow is 0.1 of an inch or more. During the same winter, New York City also experienced its least snowiest winter with 2.8 inches of snow. Boston had its third least snowiest winter, with only 10.3 inches of snow received. Records for these cities date back to the mid-1800s, according to AccuWeather.The warmer temperatures, combined with unusually low oil prices, translate into savings for home heating.In the northeast, natural gas costs are expected to be $11.18 per thousand cubic feet this winter, up 3 percent over last winter. Propane is expected to drop by 4.3 percent to $2.87 a gallon. The average heating oil price is expected to drop by 17.7 percent to $2.50 per gallon across the country, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.