Make sure to catch the rare full moon on Christmas

Santa may not need Rudolph's bright nose to guide his sleigh this year. That's because the full moon will shine brightly Christmas morning.

December's full moon is called the "Cold Moon" because this is the month winter begins across the northern hemisphere. The Christmas moon will peak at 6:11 a.m. ET | 5:11 a.m. CT.

How rare is a full moon on Christmas? It hasn't happened since 1977 and the next one won't occur again until 2034.

This Christmas doesn't look like it's shaping up to be particularly cold across the eastern half of the country. Early indications are that record warmth could engulf the eastern seaboard, while a white Christmas looks more likely in the western half of the country.

NOAA's temperature departure outlook for Christmas week shows a greater than 70 percent chance of above normal temperatures for a majority of the nation east of the Rockies.