Forecasting Christmas

We're less than two weeks away from the jolliest day of all, and I can't help but ponder the possibilities. This may or may not be a widely known secret, but I've always wanted snow for Christmas. And not just a trace amount of snow or an insignificant couple of inches, but the you-could-possibly-lose-children-or-small-pets-in-your-yard depths of snow.

Growing up in Seattle, I saw more drizzle falling on Christmas Day than any other kind of precipitation. And the few Christmases I spent in Cheyenne were always brown. My tenure in Coeur d'Alene have introduced me to more snow during the holiday seasons than I'd ever lived with, but I still dream big. I'll keep dreaming until I get snow deep enough to swim in.

After the inland northwest set a record this year for the snowiest November in recorded history, I thought that the odds were in my favor. This was the year that I'd have snow drifts as tall as my SUV. Then December came. And with the month that is home to the official start of winter came warmer weather.

The (more than) two feet of untouched snow pack covering our yard has melted into a soggy rain whipped and slightly trampled crust of pathetic looking remnants of snow. Now, I'm beginning to worry. Depending on which meteorologist you believe, the forecast for the next couple of weeks are up for debate.

So what will it be?

Are we going to have a white Christmas? Or a wet Christmas?