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After a high of 58 degrees on Christmas Eve, a storm swept through the next day and brought nearly 3 inches of snow to the Capital City on Christmas Day.

But don't expect any Christmas miracles this year. Lincoln's snow drought, which has gone on for more than 11 months, smashing the previous record, will continue through Christmas Day and beyond.

The National Weather Service is forecasting either mostly or partly sunny conditions with highs in the upper 40s for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

In fact, the whole week of Christmas is likely to feel more like early March, with highs in the upper 40s to lower 50s forecast pretty much from Sunday up until New Year's Eve. That's 10-15 degrees warmer than average.

Though there's no snow in the forecast, there is a chance of rain on the day after Christmas and on Dec. 28.

The springlike weather will be good for the nearly 120 million Americans who plan to travel.

AAA forecasts an estimated 119.3 million people will travel at least 50 miles, which would break the record set in 2019.

In the West North Central Region that includes Nebraska, 9.1 million travelers are expected, more than last year, but short of the 2019 record.

Most of those plan to drive, with 107 million nationally and about 8.4 million in Nebraska's region.

“Many travelers, particularly families with young children, prefer the flexibility and lower cost that road trips provide,� said Brian Ortner, a AAA spokesman.

Those who are traveling by automobile will benefit from pump prices that are considerably lower than last year.

As of Thursday, the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas was $2.79 both in Lincoln and statewide. That's only about 7 cents cheaper than last year across Nebraska, but in Lincoln, it's almost 40 cents lower.

For those traveling by air, prices are generally higher, with AAA booking data showing that airfares are about 4% more expensive this year than last.

Despite the higher air fares, AAA forecasts 7.85 million people will fly this holiday season, the most ever for that time period. In Nebraska's region, nearly 400,000 people are expected to travel by plane.

Eppley Airfield in Omaha is expecting 277,000 passengers from Dec. 19 through Jan. 6, which it said is about the same number as last year.

Officials said the four busiest travel days at the airport are expected to be Friday, Dec. 27, and Monday, Dec. 30.