Though Austin won’t be seeing record-setting temperature highs this week, local residents will still enjoy unseasonably warm weather.

National Weather Service meteorologists say the warm October we’ve had is due to the La Nina phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean, where sea surface temperatures are several degrees Fahrenheit lower than normal.

“The warm Octobers are very common with the La Nina phenomenon,” said Jeff Boyne, NWS meteorologist. “We’re not overly surprised to see the warm weather right now.”

Though temperatures could reach the upper 70s several times this week, most record highs are in the upper 80s to lower 90s. Today’s record high was 88 degrees in 2005, while Oct. 5’s record high was 90 in 1963. Temperatures could reach record-setting status on Oct. 8, which was 81 degrees in 1966, but that’s unlikely.

The La Nina weather patterns should continue through next spring. Meteorologists say several weather events like last December’s heavy blizzard and the spate of tornadoes earlier this year were caused in part by the La Nina phenomenon.