Keep dreaming; no white Christmas this year

Anyone in Southeast Missouri who has been dreaming of a white Christmas can keep dreaming, because it isn't likely to happen this year, according to the National Weather Service.

"Doesn't look real good," meteorologist Jim Packett said of the region's chances for snow. "Maybe north of you, up toward St. Louis and points north and east, they've got a better chance than we do down here. ... All the snow bunnies out there that wanted a white Christmas, they may want to take a little trip up to St. Louis."

Packett, who works for the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky, said some of the higher elevations in the far western Ozark Mountains could get a dusting late this morning or early this afternoon. But in Southeast Missouri, the most dramatic thing that's likely to come out of the sky on Christmas is sunshine.

"Might actually see the sun on Christmas," he said.

Packett said rain was likely Tuesday night in Southeast Missouri, with overnight temperatures dropping to about 40 degrees.

Today should be cloudy and wet, with highs in the low 40s and a low around 32, Packett said.

The rain should taper off as the day wears on, with a possibility for sunshine, highs in the mid 40s and a low around 36 on Christmas, he said.

The warming trend will continue into Friday, when forecasters are expecting sunshine and a high of 51, Packett said.

Romantics hoping for a picturesque holiday scene may be disappointed, but the higher temperatures will make life easier for holiday travelers in the area, he said.

Those driving north and east could encounter some snow along a line from Greenville, Missouri, to Fairfield, Illinois, but south and west of there, the only precipitation likely this weekend is some rain Friday night or Saturday, Packett said.

epriddy@semissourian.com

388-3642