Forecasters: No white Christmas expected

If the song "White Christmas" played this holiday season, Mother Nature sure didn't hear it.

Long Island is in for a cold and dry but decidedly unsnowy Christmas, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures for Christmas Eve and Christmas are set to hover in the 30s during the day, and the 20s at night, said meteorologist Lauren Nash with the National Weather Service in Upton.

And while Long Islanders might see some flurries Saturday night, any snow the region does get will come Sunday, when a southern coastal storm is set to travel north.

Nash said that if the storm moves northeast, Long Island will likely remain unscathed. If it travels in a westerly direction, though, it's likely that Sunday and Monday will see some snow.

"Timing and placement is what we're watching right now," Nash said.

Next week, the weather should return to a dry and cold state, she said - normal for this time of year, even if not exactly the stuff of holiday carols.