Will Christmas be white in the Pittsburgh region?

Western Pennsylvania might have a white Christmas for the first time in 15 years.

There is a 30 percent chance of snow showers on Christmas and a 40 percent chance on Christmas Eve, according to the Weather Channel.

But before you dig out your Bing Crosby CD, remember that extended forecasts are somewhat suspect.

“Anything beyond five days is chancy,” said Lee Hendricks, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon Township.

The last time Pittsburgh had a white Christmas was 2002, when 1.8 inches of snow fell across the region, Hendricks said.

The National Weather Service defines a “white” Christmas as 1 inch or more of new snow. In Pittsburgh, that happens 17 percent of the time.

The region sees trace amounts of snow on Christmas 38 percent of the time, Hendricks said.

The forecast this week calls for a chance of light snow each day before drying out over the weekend. Temperatures will hover in the 30s for much of the week.