Early a.m. report from the roads: It's a mess out there

Here's an early-morning report from the roads:

Just keep telling yourself, it could be worse. This could all be snow.

In the meantime, expect a miserable commute as an all-night, pounding rain has drenched the region and left roads a mess, with lots of standing water, downed trees and other obstacles bound to make the Friday morning commute an adventure.

I'm lucky. There is next to no one on the roads when I'm out there. The rest of you might not be so lucky. I am thinking that the Friday morning commute is going to be a mess.

And it comes as we commence the big holiday weekend.

You can get where you are going, just be warned that it is going to take a little longer.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for Delaware County and most of the region through Friday night.

There is serious hydroplaning out there, with numerous accidents reported on major highways, including I-95.

We could get as much as 2.5 inches of rain before this tapers off later Friday afternoon.

You want some good news: We're looking at a high of 63. Break out the golf clubs.

Here is the latest forecast for the pre-holiday weekend and through Christmas Day:

Overnight: Periods of rain. The rain could be heavy at times. Steady temperature around 60. Breezy, with a south wind around 20 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Friday: Rain before 1pm, then showers likely between 1pm and 4pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 64. South wind 10 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Friday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am, then a slight chance of showers between 1am and 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44. South wind 11 to 13 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 49. Breezy, with a west wind 16 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph.