Dreaming of a white Christmas? Keep dreaming, Hampton Roads.

A blanket of snowflakes on the front lawn, the warmth of a fireplace, unwrapping gifts with Bing Crosby crooning in the background: “May your days be merry and bright.”

It’s the picturesque sort of white Christmas people dream of. Except that dream is unlikely to come true for Hampton Roads residents this year — meteorologists advise the region should not expect any snowfall during the holidays.

Forecasters from the National Ocean and Atmospheric Association studied the historic probability of an inch of snowfall on Christmas Day since 1991. They said the probability of a white Christmas in Hampton Roads this year was “significantly low.”

On top of that, high temperatures are forecast in the upper 60s on Christmas Day with a low in the upper 40s on Christmas Eve.

Meteorologists define a “white Christmas” as at least an inch of snow on the ground by 7 a.m. on Christmas Day. Williamsburg, Hampton and Norfolk only would have had a 3% chance of at least 1 inch of snow this year, according to an interactive map created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Environmental Information.

The last time Hampton Roads had a measurable amount of snow on Christmas Day was in 2010 — though eight-tenths of an inch of snow isn’t enough to officially be considered a white Christmas. The last official white Christmas on record for localities such as Norfolk was 1966, when the city received 4 inches of snow, according to NOAA’s archives.

More recent snow accumulations in the region have come in January, such as at the start of this year when Hampton Roads received about a third of an inch.In January 2018, localities like Norfolk saw approximately 5.1 inches, according to the NOAA.

Historically temperatures are usually between the upper 30s to mid 50s on Christmas, but Roman Miller, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service in Wakefield, said the weather is only getting warmer and dryer in its current pattern this year.

“Right now we’re in a La Niña weather pattern,” Miller said. “Generally the temperatures are warmer and dryer than normal for the Hampton Roads area and that’s all we’ve seen through November and December.”

Temperatures are projected to be in the mid-to lower-40s and 50s during the week of Christmas and then warmer on Friday and Christmas Day, according to the National Weather Service’s forecast.

Historically, Northern Virginia residents — including those in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William County — have a higher chance of seeing snow in their front yards on Christmas Day. The NOAA projects the Washington area suburbs have a 10 to 25% chance this year.

Miller said in any given year, it’s a slim chance to expect a white Christmas in Hampton Roads. But 3% is still a chance.

So keep dreaming.

Lyndon German, frederick.german@virginiamedia.com