Freezing Rain To Impact Travel On Christmas

BOSTON (CBS) - Merry Christmas! Light snow grazed Massachusetts on Friday morning but we're in store for more concern on Christmas Day.

A Winter Weather Advisory has been put in effect for most of the state as freezing rain brings another chance of ice.

TIMING: Showers will move in overnight leading to slick spots between 5-7am in central MA. East of 495 will tap into this threat near sunrise. As temperatures stay at or slightly below freezing, ice will continue to build up on the roads through midmorning.

AMOUNTS: 0.01-0.1" of ice expected from 495 to the 95-corridor. Interior locations, especially Worcester County, could record 0.2"+ by midday. Lower values expected to southeastern MA with the Cape and Islands staying in a rain event.

TRAVEL: The morning will be the greatest concern. If drivers can avoid being on the roads through noon that will keep all safe.

Areas that are closer to the Route 495 corridor points north and west of Boston stand the greatest chance of seeing several hours of that light freezing rain and drizzle early on Christmas morning. That doesn't mean Boston is completely "out of the woods". Even the city could see an hour or two of freezing rain very early in the day, which would in and of itself be a rarity for Christmas Day in Boston based on data going back to 1930.

As temperatures rise by lunchtime, the tricky road conditions will subside and there will be some thawing for the afternoon. For Christmas dinner plans, most of the region should land under generally rain rather than freezing rain. Manageable by the end of the day.

BOTTOM LINE: Christmas morning is the perfect time to stay in and open gifts! Even though we won't be able to use the new toys due to rain in the afternoon, the second half of the day is much better than the first.

Remember, it only takes a very small amount of ice to slip and potentially fall, so before heading out the door, inspect your stoop and whatever pavement you may be approaching. Assume anything that looks wet in the morning is slippery and watch your footing.

Most of us, by lunchtime, from Boston south and east will see temperatures climbing well above freezing, allowing whatever precipitation that is falling at that time to turn to plain rain.

Once the front tracks just to the north and east of Boston, we should see some improvement, and even some dry time. That said, there's another round of precipitation that wants to arrive later into the evening. Most of it will fall in the form of light rain in Eastern Massachusetts, but for a select few, it could mean a brief round of light freezing rain generating more slippery spots later into the night. Areas into the southern New Hampshire need to keep an eye out for that.

Don't get caught off guard during the holiday. Assume anything that's wet early in the day is ice, and watch yourself underfoot!

Happy Holidays to all!