Outbound holiday traffic reaches its annual peak on Tuesday, the day before Christmas Eve.
According to Fintraffic's traffic management operator, Marko Kolattu, road congestion is expected to peak shortly after midday, with heavy traffic continuing into the late evening, depending on the region.
In central areas, the worst bottlenecks are expected to occur between 2 and 3 pm, according to Kolattu.
During the afternoon, queues are likely to form on Highway 4 northbound from Lahti and Jyväskylä.
Substantial traffic is also anticipated on Highway 5 as far as Mikkeli.
Conditions mostly good
Motorists are setting off in mostly good driving conditions. Roads are dry, and temperatures remain below freezing across the country.
According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI), Tuesday will be mostly dry nationwide, with spells of sunshine. In much of the country, temperatures will range between –4 and –12 degrees Celsius.
In Lapland, milder air will arrive later on Tuesday, pushing temperatures closer to zero or slightly above, which may make roads slippery in some areas.
Fintraffic expects return traffic to be spread over several days, with the busiest period falling on Boxing Day, 26 December.
