Travel agent Sandy Davis offered this advice to travelers over the Thanksgiving holiday: leave early.
Real early, in fact.
Davis, owner of Davis Travel Agency in Monongahela, said folks from the Mon Valley are joining millions across America who are gassing up their cars, toting luggage and heading to airports for the long holiday weekend.
But travelers won't just be coping with crowds, traffic tie-ups and long lines. They also face the threat of the season's first significant snowfall.
"People are traveling everywhere and the best thing they can do is plan ahead and leave early," Davis said.
AAA said more than 37 million people will be traveling during the holiday weekend, undeterred by the cost of gasoline, rental cars and wintry weather.
Snow was already falling Wednesday afternoon in the Mon Valley, but that didn't stop last-minute shoppers from packing into grocery and department stores for additions to their Thanksgiving dinners.
While the day before Thanksgiving is heralded by AAA as the biggest travel day of they year, Davis said to expect more of the same Sunday when overstuffed travelers head home.
"Sunday really is the biggest travel day of the year," Davis said. "People are more likely to stay home for Christmas, but they will travel for Thanksgiving."
But watch the speedometer, as state and local police will be stepping up patrols this weekend.
In Rostraver Township's high-traffic Route 51 corridor, expect to see local police conducting traffic enforcement details. They conducted one Wednesday and more are expected through the weekend, police Chief Greg Resetar said.
"We will be beefing up patrols and also giving out violations for those not wearing seatbelts," Resetar said, adding the details are sponsored by Pa. Buckle Up.
The skies will be abuzz this weekend, too, as Davis said flights are "packed."
The Air Transport Association, which represents major airlines, predicted 21.7 million people would fly on U.S. airlines from Nov. 19 to Nov. 29, slightly more than the record number a year ago.
"Air fares are up probably roughly $40 ... since last February, but that hasn't deterred people," said Terry Trippler, an airline analyst with CheapSeats.com.
But wintry weather across the country will likely cause traffic jams, delays and headaches for motorists.
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh put into affect a snow advisory until 5 p.m. today, with a chance of snow showers this afternoon. Additional snow accumulation today could be around an inch, with temperatures around 30 and dropping to the teens this evening with strong wind gusts.
Better weather is expected for Saturday and Sunday as temperatures should get up into the 40s and 50s, according to the National Weather Service.
Snow threatened to create messy travel conditions across the Great Lakes states and south into the central Appalachians.
Snow showers were possible as far south as North Carolina, where Mount Mitchell had collected 10 inches overnight, and winter storm watches were in effect through Thursday evening for sections of West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland and northern New England, the National Weather Service said.
For hundreds of motorists, the day started Wednesday with a miles-long traffic jam on Washington's Capital Beltway after a gasoline tanker truck exploded on Interstate 95 just north of the city. No injuries were reported and the highway was partially reopened in about three hours.
"This is not what we needed to start this travel day," said Lon Anderson, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
