HOLIDAY WEEKEND WEATHER ALERT: Wet Snow Friday; Freezing Fog, Drizzle on Christmas

Wet snow is expected to start falling Friday afternoon and could make a mess of travel plans for those hitting the road for the holidays.

For most in the Chicago area, this will mean a light to moderate snow or rain/snow mix Friday afternoon and evening. Portions of the northern and western suburbs could see between one and 2.5 inches of snow while southeastern areas will see less than one inch of snow. Temperatures at or just above freezing may limit some of the accumulation on paved surfaces, although plan on a light accumulation, especially along and north of I-80, weather officials said.

For those hitting the roads Thursday, no snow or precipitation is in the forecast. Partly sunny skies are expected through this morning and highs will be in the uppers 30s with west winds between 10 to 15 mph.

On Christmas Eve on Saturday, mostly cloudy skies and highs in the 30s are expected. Fog and freezing drizzle is expected to develop overnight. Better chances for fog and drizzle will continue on Christmas Day, and some of it could also be freezing in the morning.

During the day on Christmas, temperatures are expected to slowly warm with patches of light rain and drizzle expected along with fog throughout the day. Temps could reach 50 degrees by midnight.

Here is a more detailed look at the forecast for the holiday weekend:

• Thursday: Partly sunny through this morning then clearing. Highs in the upper 30s. West winds 10 to 15 mph.
• Thursday Night: Clear in the evening then increasing clouds. Lows in the lower 20s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph.
• Friday: Cloudy. Rain and light snow in the afternoon. Little or no snow accumulation. Highs in the mid 30s. South winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 80 percent.
• Friday Night: Cloudy. Light snow or rain in the evening...then a slight chance of rain or light snow after midnight. Some snow accumulation possible. Lows in the lower 30s. South winds 10 to 20 mph in the evening becoming southwest 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation 80 percent.
• Saturday: Mostly cloudy. Highs in the upper 30s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
• Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy. Areas of fog. Slight chance of drizzle and freezing drizzle after midnight. Lows in the lower 30s.
• Christmas Day: Cloudy. Slight chance of drizzle and freezing drizzle in the morning...then a chance of rain in the afternoon. Areas of fog. Highs in the lower 40s. Chance of measurable precipitation 50 percent.
• Sunday Night: Cloudy. Areas of fog in the evening. Showers likely. Lows in the upper 30s to mid 40s then temperatures slowly rising. Chance of precipitation 60 percent.
• Monday: Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 40s. Then temperatures falling into the lower 30s by evening.
• Monday Night: Partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 20s.

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