Christmas weather: What Wisconsin travelers need to know

MILWAUKEE - If you are hitting the road or catching a flight for Christmas, the forecast brings a mix of good news and caution flags. 

Southern Wisconsin will stay mostly mild, which helps local travel, but several major trouble spots across the country could cause delays if your plans take you farther from home.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

Christmas Eve, Christmas Day travel

Timeline:

For local travel, this is about as friendly as late December gets. Temperatures stay well above normal, so snow and widespread ice are not the main concerns.

Expect dry conditions most of the day on Christmas Eve. Light rain or drizzle moves in late afternoon and evening. Roads turn wet, especially during peak travel hours, but impacts should stay minor. Late at night, temperatures begin to fall. In southern Wisconsin, the risk of freezing is low, but bridges and untreated surfaces could briefly turn slick.

Daytime travel on Christmas looks solid. It stays dry, breezy and mild, making it a good window for road trips and family visits.

Christmas night into early Friday is the one time to slow things down. Rain becomes more widespread overnight. Most of southern Wisconsin stays warm enough for rain, but a brief window of freezing drizzle is possible north of the area. Late night and early morning drivers should watch for slick spots.

Rain tapers off Friday afternoon and travel conditions should quickly improve. Saturday stays mild with no major weather problems expected.

Flying or driving farther?

Big picture view:

If your holiday plans include air travel or long drives, national weather could have a bigger impact than what is happening locally.

Southern California:

Travel through Southern California is very difficult Wednesday into Thursday. A high risk of excessive rainfall brings widespread flash flooding. Roads can flood quickly, even in places that do not usually see problems. Mudslides and debris flows are possible near burn scars. Flight delays and cancellations are likely at major airports.

Sierra Nevada:

The Sierra Nevada continues to see heavy snow through Friday. Mountain passes may require chains or close temporarily. Driving conditions can become dangerous fast. This also affects air travel and shipping routes across the West.

Northeast:

Parts of New England deal with steady snow through Christmas Day. Snow covered roads, reduced visibility and slower highway travel are likely. Expect delays at major Northeast airports that can ripple back into Midwest hubs.

Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic:

Along the northern edge of the rain shield, parts of the Great Lakes and northern Mid-Atlantic could see rain mixed with freezing rain late Christmas Eve into Christmas Day. Even light icing can make bridges and untreated roads slippery, especially overnight and early in the morning.

What's next:

By Saturday night into Sunday, a cold front moves through the Midwest. Precipitation chances stay low, but colder air rushes in. Temperatures fall sharply Sunday night into Monday. Any leftover moisture on roads could freeze, bringing a more winter-like feel back early next week.

Bottom line

Why you should care:

Local travel stays mostly easy with wet roads and only brief slick spots late at night. Bigger delays are more likely if you are traveling out of state, especially west to California or east toward the Northeast. Build extra time into your plans, travel during daylight when possible and keep an eye on road conditions and flight updates.

Christmas travel looks doable, but a little flexibility will go a long way.