but the story is record breaking warmth on this christmas eve and it's beginning to look a lot like spring time as folks leave the gloves and coats at home as temperatures soared, we saw joggers in shorts and t-shirts and why not on this unseasonably dry day, it's proving to be the warmest christmas eve ever in the delaware valley. with us is melissa magee live at the big board. temperatures once again above average, normal is 42, we broke the record we set last year, 64 degrees, and today 71 degrees in philadelphia and the all time december high is 73, so 2 degrees off the mark of having historic warmth but unusually warm for this time of year, the southwesterly time of year, 55 in the poconos and 60 in reading and along the coast in sea isle city, 58, the upper 60s for

dover and millville, if you are stepping out we have you covered for christmas eve as you gather with are you friends and family, it's mild and the temperature at 9:00, and if you are attending midnight mass the temperature is 63, what is ahead it stays cloudy ain stray shower, but leave the puffy coats behind tonight, records likely for christmas day and we are tracking more rain next week, we'll let you know how long the warmth sticks around coming up in the full and exclusive accuweather forecast. >> a warm gift but people are saying bah humbug especially if you like to ski or ice skate, john rawlins has more on that. >> i prefer a white christmas rather than a wet christmas.

>> at one point the humid air produced a layer of water on the ice risk. >> the water is from the humidity and the atmosphere, some of it condensing on the ice. >> fans of christmas saying the warm weather not dampening their efforts, brianna had a tiny elf in her hands. >> i miss the snow but the warm weather is great too. >> you are in the christmas spirit? >> yes. >> the warm weather doesn't have an impact on it? >> none whatsoever. >> it feels christmasy because we are in the city and all the people and lights and scenery, at the christmas market, merchants adjusting what they were selling. >> ponchos and shawls are item you can wear when it's kind of warm, and hot drinks were not in high demand. compared to cold drinks.

but still hot chocolate did sell occasionally. >> it's the season, it's christmas, you have to have some hot chocolate. christmas eve 20 is an in philadelphia, a day for shirt sleeves and a record high temperature and if you were so moved, a day for hot chocolate. john rawlins, channel 6 "action news." today was also a travel day for many people, and for most passengers it was problem free. there were a few delays at philadelphia international airport compared to yesterday some inbound flights were running late because of storms in the south but otherwise smooth sailing and the warm temperatures had travelers in shorts and t-shirts and others were seeking out colder destinations in search of snow. >> headed to seattle and then vancouver. >> to do what? >> go snowboarding. >> you'll fine snow? >> yes, 70 degrees and i'm going snowboarding, i had to find my winter jacket. >> for those traveling by rail, amtrak says that most trains at

20th street station are leaving on time. and now the latest on the christmas shopping crunch, time is ticking to get the last minute gifts and many stores were about to close for the tonight, many are staying open and trying to lure in the procrastinators, christie is live at a target store in plymouth meeting with more on that. >> reporter: hey there rick, you know for the first time target is staying open until 11:00 tonight on christmas eve and in true 11th hour fashion there say steady stream of procrastinating shoppers coming through the doors. >> hours before christmas -- target in plymouth meeting is packed with last minute shoppers. >> i just have to. i have to stop you. i have to shop. >> anthony has a cart full of toys. >> i shop one day a year. >> it's the 24th, yes.

>> why so late nk one day a year it takes five hours. >> waiting christmas eve is a tradition. >> you always wait until christmas eve? >> why? >> it's more fun. >> i'm usually done and i try to get two more things and that is it. >> there are a lot of last minute gifting opportunities, we are blowing through things like picture frames and sets. target is open for another five hours. >> it's moving well, moving well. not too crazy. >> one adventure to procrastinating. >> i got that on clearance and that on clearance. >> and got this make your own bed thing, that was 30. >> do you think if you came out on black friday you would have paid more. >> yes, i know i would have. because that is going back. >> now, aside from buying those

last minute gifts people are stocking up on necessities and groceries, because many stores will not be open tomorrow. >> rick? >> thank you. lots of folks were grabbing the final items to complete their holiday dinners. customers lined up outside for a chance to get cannolis and cakes and cookies and other sweet streets, many people arrived before sunrise they told us. >> you come in after 6:00 and there say long line, if you get here between 5:15 and 5:30. the bakery brought in live music, to entertain the early bird shoppers. meanwhile, post offices have shortened hours this christmas eve, with most closing at 4:00. this one in bala cynwyd had steady business throughout the day and it was done early at the blue boxes and all post offices

are closed tomorrow and on christmas day and only priority mail express will be delivered then. >> and this reminder, take "action news" and 6abc.com with you on the holidays, load up the mobile devices you are giving or getting with the 6 abc news app, storm tracker app and the events apps, they are available at the apple app store and the google play stores. >> philadelphia police are urging people in old city to stay alert after gun point robbery, the people were robbed on the night of december 13th and then five days later more victims in an hour and left residents with a sense of unease. >> i am worried i have heard about it and it's the shopping season, people come home at night and the last thing you need to worry about walking with gifts is to have a gun pointed at your face.

>> the suspect got away with cash, wallets purses and cell phones and nobody was hurt. >> detectives are searching for two men that burglarized an old city bar, they stole from the forefathers bar and grill on west market street tuesday morning, police say they got inside by breaking a window with a break. able to take two safes worth $1400, if you recognize either suspect contact philadelphia police. chopper 6 was in feasterville buck county this morning after a car became wedged under a trick or treat, it became wedged under a tractor trailer at street road, it's unclear what caused the vehicles to collide some how there was no serious injuries. pennsylvania governor, tom wolf will likely spend the holiday weekend deciding whether to sign a budget plan he does not agree with. it come as mid a budget

stalemate going on for six months now, causing schools across the state to borrow money to keep running, and he says no decision is likely before mon. still to come, local police become santa's helpers, the unexpected way they made christmas happen for a family of three small children. and how they brought smiles to the people that recently lost everything. and meteorologist, monica malpass, is back with the seven-day forecast. jeff skversky with sports.

and we are live once again at this christmas eve mass underway at the basilica of saints peter and paul. there is another mass at 7:30 and a midnight service celebrated by archbishop chaput part of the jubilee that started earlier this month. from our delaware newsroom santa claus accompanied firefighters when they visit aid family of seven that lost everything in a devastating fire. chris scarborough saw his home burn down after a space heater was put too close to flammable materials. now the community has banned together and donated clothing and toys for him and his wife and children. the same firefighters that fought the blaze made the

delivery to the grateful recipients. >> it's overwhelming to be the one on the receiving end and you have to swallow that and say thank you, and i appreciate that from the depth of my heart and from my family. >> the donations came from all over in pennsylvania, delaware and maryland. many local police officers are giving back as one police officer answered a call from santa claus himself. >> the police sirens blaired, their assignment urgent, santa want tods start in fairless hills and needed the help of the police department. >> santa claus contacted the police department. >> corporal steve longston said he needed to give gifts to a

family in need. >> was so grateful. >> our chance to give back to the community that we work for. >> laurie wright is mom to three children who all couldn't believe their eyes when present presented them with candy canes and seeing him on your front lawn is different than writing letters. >> what did you ask santa for this year? >> a barbie dream house. and barbies. and toys. and a racetrack. >> come here. >> officers carried in gift after gift as well as christmas dinner donated by mccaffreys market, the family could not resist giving santas huge hugs. >> recently lost my job in november, of all times to become unemployed. >> the kids are inside probably even right now begging to open the (s but mom and dad said no,

they have to wait until tomorrow morning like every other year, and it was time to pick up the truck and reindeer. come on in pop pop. happy birthday. i just had a heart attack... and now i have a choice. for her. for them. and him. a choice to take brilinta. a prescription for people who've been hospitalized for a heart attack. i take brilinta with a baby aspirin ...no more than 100 mg. as it affects how well it works.

it's such an important thing to do to help protect against another heart attack. brilinta worked better than plavix. and even reduced the chances of dying from another one. don't stop taking brilinta without talking to doctor. since stopping it too soon increases your risk of clots in your stent, heart attack, stroke, and even death. brilinta may cause bruising or bleeding more easily or serious, sometimes fatal bleeding. don't take brilinta if you have bleeding, like stomach ulcers. a history of bleeding in the brain, or severe liver problems. tell your doctor about bleeding, new or unexpected shortness of breath, any planned surgery and all medicines you take. i will take brilinta today. tomorrow. and every day for as long as my doctor tells me. don't miss a day of brilinta.

sports tonight. jeff is here and we are talking about the eagles and red skins game, the big game saturday night and one red skin is looking forward to coming here. one desean jackson looking for redemption when he comes back will desean jackson be the grinch that stole christmas from the eagles, he was a green monster last year and his heart is an empty hole for chip kelly who cut him. today he returns to practice after missing yesterday with a knee injury, he would relish in being mr. grinch for a second year, he had 226 yards and stole

the christmas spirit from eagles fans and all but eliminated them too. >> it's not the first time i've played them and probably not of the last, i look forward to going back to philly and playing in front of fans some like me and some don't. >> if keeping jackson is check is enough enough, byron maxwell remains sidelines and benny logan is out with a calf injury. will it take a christmas miracle to make the playoff, the eagles are 6-8 with two must wins to go. if you are not in a jolly mood about the eagles, espn's santa jaws will make you merry and maybe put you in the playoff spirit. >> twas the night before christmas and all through the league, everyone is puzzled who will win the nfc east.

some say the skins and desean will find magic, and some say eli and big blue it's not time to panic, but i jaws from the north pole, the wise and knowing, santa jaws has the answer that has eagles fans glowing, this week the birds get a gift from my sleigh and squeak by the red skins and it's an eagling win i dare to say, it comes down to the new york giants a week 17 finale, the outcome i say will be joyous i say not scary and the birds will win and the division is there's, so hey everyone on to the playoffs, yes that is what i see a holiday prediction, that will fill us with glee. on broad ford on jenkins and speeters and sproles and barwin

and matthews against all of our foes, the birds give us hope and continue to fight. ho, ho, ho and a merry christmas to all and to all a good night. >> all right santa jaws. the sixers season is more comical than national lampoons christmas vacation and brett brown may have the happiest christmas after the trade today, they get smith from the pelicans for two second round picks, and smith played for the sixers before they let him walk away and to make room they cut tony roton who just returned from a knee injury, they lead the league in turnovers and they need the point guard to zrb out the ball. melissa magee with the accuweather forecast for your christmas we'll be right back.

meteorologist, melissa magee, a californian, probably likes this warm weather. >> i certainly do, why would you complain? >> you better get out there. you have to take advantage when you have temperatures in the 70s. in the month of december. here is what is going on stormtracker 6 live double scan you can see that we had a little bit of precipitation this frontal boundary that we are tracking is moving on off to the south and east, but i would still allow for a stray shower with so much low level moisture and mild conditions overhead, we'll show you the picture outside, the action cam was outside earlier this afternoon, there in center city, there in the ben franklin parkway,

looking at city hall, a mostly cloudy skies and the clouds are hanging on tough for the rest of today. despite the clouds and moisture, we had record highs today. philadelphia you shattered the old record of 64 set for last year, today's high is 71 degrees, 2 degrees shy of becoming the all time december high. it's 71 that was the high in allentown and 64 in the poconos, you had a high today 71 in atlantic city, and 69 is the high, and lancaster a record high of 71, we have the southwesterly wind, 55 in the poconos, and 67 in philadelphia, along the coast in sea isle city, 58 and 60 lancaster be reading at this hour. stormtracker 6 live double scan showing it's mostly cloudy and tracking a frontal boundary to the south and east and during the day tomorrow this front meanders back to the north and by day's end a shower is still

likely and for the rest of the night it stays cloudy and mild and dropping down to 52 in the suburbs and 60 in philadelphia for the overnight low, future tracker 6 taking you into time by midnight tonight, perhaps are you attending midnight mass and a stray hour is likely with the southwesterly wind and a lot of low level moisture ahead, a foggy start for locations, few sunny breaks and otherwise mostly cloudy and a lot of moisture stay as way from the region 2:00 in the afternoon, it clouds up good across the region and by 10:30 tomorrow night a frontal boundary moving northward and showers are likely by day's end, and the forecast is covered for you, 9:00 in the morning as you are gathered around the tree up wrapping the presents, 62 degrees and 1:00 tomorrow the temperature at 67 and by 5:00 p.m. a number in at

64. here is the exclusive accuweather forecast, cloudy tomorrow and a high of 70 if we hit 70 that would hit the record of 68 set back in 1964, rain likely tomorrow night on saturday cloudy and drizzle it possible and cooler day at 5 with the eagles at home at the linc taking on the red skins, 55 on tuesday with rain around and 56 on wednesday and 57 on wednesday and new years eve mostly cloudy and 54. not bad tomorrow and hopefully it's a merry christmas for you rick. >> merry christmas to you. finally tonight a family in beverly, new jersey, a christmas a family in never forget. for the fourth year in a row they teamed up to make sure less fortunate families had holiday meals, mom carol price cried

with joy and was struggling to give her kids a good christmas and santa arrived. >> this is a complete blessing and i'm so thankful, i don't know what else to say. >> another family in beverly got a visit today and organizers were overwhelmed by the support they got in donations from the community. nice story. abc world news tonight is next on channel 6 with david muir and "action news" continues at 10:00 on phl 17. and join us for "action news" at 11:00 here on channel 6. and for melissa magee, cecily tynan, ducis rogers, jeff skversky, and jim gardner, i'm rick williams have a nice evening. we'll see you at 11:00.

tonight, that tornado outbreak wreaking havoc over the holiday. the mounting death toll and destruction in several states. more than two dozen twisters. one that touched down may have traveled more than 100 miles on the ground. >> oh, wow. looks like there's two. >> the storms so powerful, a tractor trailer hurled off the road. tonight, the stories of survival. white-hot christmas. record-breaking temperatures along the east coast. the images you never see this time of year. what this weather pattern means for the rest of winter. crackdown. the plan for a nationwide swede of undocumented immigrants. hundreds of families facing deportation. officials saying they pose a threat to national security. and, tracking santa. inside the government's top secret mission to follow that flying sleigh.