Dreaming of a White Christmas? Dream On, St. Peters

Christmas is right around the corner—it's Sunday for those not near a calendar—and it doesn't look like St. Peters will be having a white Christmas.

The forecast for now until Sunday looks great for fans of snow-less days. Those hoping for the white stuff will likely be disappointed. However this is Missouri and the weather changes at the drop off the hat—a surprise storm wouldn't surprise a lot of people. 

Still, a white Christmas seems unlikely—a feat that has happened infrequently throughout the years. 

Christmas 2010 delivered snow around the St. Louis metro area. But this season’s skies will not disappoint those hoping for milder weather at Christmas.

• Watch: YouTube video of snowfall in St. Louis on Dec. 24, 2010

Jim Kramper, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service St. Louis office, said the Sunday forecast is sunny with a high of 39°F, too warm for snow.

“Traditionally it’s not typically snowy,” Kramper said.

Chris Higgins, a meteorologist at Maryland Heights-based , said St. Louisans woke to snow on just 21 Christmas Days in the last 112 years. In that same time period, only four Christmas Days yielded more than an inch of the white stuff. 

That number jumps to 16 if you count all the Christmas days with both an inch accumulation and light flurries, Higgins said.

Snow big deal

The normal weather for a metro St. Louis Christmas is pretty mild. Higgins said the average high is around 44°F, with an average low temperature around 25°F.

And this year, snow in St. Louis is running a little late, Higgins said. Usually residents can expect snow in December, he said. Higgins predicted the next big snow will come in early 2012.