If you’ve been dreaming of a white Christmas, dream on. It looks as if Santa and his reindeer won’t be landing on any snow-covered rooftops in the Illinois Valley.

The 10-day forecast now extends to the most wonderful time of year, and children who asked for a new sled might have to wait a few days before using it. There’s no snow in the forecast, and what’s on the ground now will be gone by the holiday.

“I’d say the odds lean against a white Christmas,” said Ricky Castro, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Romeoville, “but never say never with the 10-day forecast.”

Forecasts are fluid, but so far, the outlook suggests most of us will be huddling under blankets watching the Packers-Bears game on Saturday night, followed by a chilly Sunday with a daytime high of 33 degrees.

Then, the mercury will gradually climb into the 50s as we leave cookies and milk for Old St. Nick. On Christmas Day, we could hit a daytime high of 55 degrees, according to forecasts updated Wednesday.

Not everyone is unhappy with the possibility of a Christmas without snow, however.

The U.S. Drought Monitor shows the vast majority of the Illinois Valley mired in “moderate drought” – Putnam County is “severe” – and farmers are among those who’d welcome a steady melt to replenish the water table.

“The ground is not frozen hard under the snow,” observed David Isermann, president of the La Salle County Farm Bureau. “The melting snow and any rain we get will help with the drought conditions and should go into the soil.”

Retailers aren’t exactly pleading for more bitter cold, either.

Becca Barto, owner of Sasso Jewelry and Gifts in La Salle, said winter weather hasn’t been an impediment to holiday shopping – “Our customers still found a way to get here on Small Business Saturday” – but she said she isn’t opposed to balmier conditions during the remaining shopping days before Christmas.

“We see a little mad rush at the last minute,” Barto said.

And plow drivers wouldn’t mind a break from the snow.

Ottawa Mayor Robert Hasty applauded his city’s street department – “They’ve done a remarkable job keeping streets safe and passable” – but expressed his hope that city workers might enjoy downtime with their families rather than spend Christmas driving a plow.

“The first few weeks of this winter have already brought more snow than we saw in any of my previous winters as mayor,” Hasty said. “Our public works crews have been out for long hours, often late into the night and in bitterly cold conditions.

“While we all enjoy the idea of a white Christmas, Mother Nature always has her own plans.”