Christmas is only a few days away, and you have probably spent quite a bit of time recently listening to White Christmas, Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!, and Winter Wonderland. While all these classic songs are chock-a-block with festive cheer, the idea of actually seeing snow on Christmas day is pretty unrealistic most of the time if you live in the Netherlands.
What about this year though? Some meteorologists have said the country could be lucky enough to get some snow on Christmas day, but how are the odds looking now that the big day is just around the corner?
It’s hard to avoid the speculation about a potential white Christmas at this time of year, and normally all the experts tend to be in agreement: if you’re celebrating in the Netherlands, the only place you’ll see a white Christmas is in your dreams.
This year, though, meteorologists have made it clear that there is some hope for those who fantasise about waking up to snow on Christmas morning. The last few days have been pretty cold, and Tuesday saw the country’s first official frost of the season, but on Thursday and Friday temperatures will rise again slightly, with some rain expected on Christmas Eve.
Some parts of Europe, including Denmark and Germany, will likely see snow on Christmas Eve - but the Netherlands won’t be that lucky. For Christmas day, there are a couple of different predictions; some forecasts say the Netherlands will see a mild and cloudy December 25 with a decent amount of rain, while others say the country could see between five and 10 centimetres of snow.
Of course, these split forecasts and the ongoing uncertainty means that different regions could see very different weather, with some snow in the northern cities and a mix of rain and sleet in the southern cities looking to be a pretty likely outcome at the moment. With each day that passes, it looks like the country's chance of a proper white Christmas is dwindling.
Regardless of the fact some areas might get a little snow on Christmas day, this year is unlikely to be classified as an official white Christmas - in order for this to happen, the Dutch Weather Institute (KNMI) has to record snow in De Bilt (a town near Utrecht) on both December 25 and 26 - something that has only happened eight times since records began in 1901.