Wind and rain to buffet travelers

By Kate Reardon

Herald Writer

Wind and rain may be a nuisance during the Thanksgiving holiday for drivers, who will likely be packed on the roads as tight as a can of cranberry sauce.

Cooks may want to have a gas grill handy for the turkey or tofu in case wind knocks out the power.

Regardless of how you choose to move, expect heavy traffic on the roads, crowded trains and tight security at airports.

With some people still afraid to fly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, more people are opting to drive or take the train to their Thanksgiving destinations.

And while others around the nation are enjoying the lowest gas prices in two years, the average price at the pump in this state is still 27 cents more than the national average of $1.47 for a gallon of regular unleaded.

Still, regional prices are down an average 24 cents a gallon since mid-September — from $1.58 for regular unleaded in the Seattle area to $1.38 in Wenatchee, according to AAA Washington.

AAA predicts that 34.6 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home during the holiday period, a 6 percent decline from last year. The AAA said 87 percent of them would travel by vehicle, compared with 83 percent last year.

Airline travel is expected to decline 15 percent to 20 percent from last year, according to the Air Transport Association, which represents the large U.S. carriers.

Those who do fly this week will already be facing stricter security than a year ago and will likely find airports clogged with holiday travelers who aren’t used to the changes, experts said.

Twenty million Americans flew in a 12-day period around Thanksgiving last year.

Amtrak is adding 75,000 seats, more than it added during last year’s Thanksgiving holiday period, when 567,000 people rode on the passenger rail service during a seven-day period.

Greyhound Bus Lines hopes that, based on advance ticket purchases, it will post an increase over the 800,000 riders it carried in a six-day holiday period last year.

Janet Ray, spokeswoman for AAA Washington in Bellevue, said what’s happening locally is in line with national trends.

"We’re at a point in our airline reservations where we’re seeing business over previous weeks, but still below where we were last year," Ray said.

People should anticipate a typical holiday travel season, Ray said. Chances are the roads today and Sunday will be busy.

"You’re going to find a lot of company on the road," she said.

And keep in mind that Friday is typically the busiest shopping day of the year, she added.

If you’re staying in the Puget Sound area and driving to your destination, expect rain and windy weather. If you’re traveling the mountain passes, you may run into winter conditions after Friday.

"The wind probably won’t affect drivers much," said Dean Gilbert, meteorologist with NorthWest Weathernet in Issaquah.

But there could be power outages. The Puget Sound area may see gusts of wind between 40 and 45 mph on Thanksgiving, Gilbert said.

"Snow levels will still be pretty high through Thursday and Friday," he said. "But roads will probably be wet."

Mountain passes should be clear and wet. But by Saturday and Sunday, snow levels are expected to drop to 1,500 to 2,000 feet, Gilbert said. And drivers could see the first splotches of ice on the roads Saturday and Sunday nights.

Gilbert said it will rain on Thanksgiving Day, with mild daytime temperatures in the mid-50s. Gusts of wind are expected into Thanksgiving night with temperatures in the 40s.

Temperatures will cool over the weekend, with highs expected in the upper 40s during the day and the low 30s to upper 20s at night, especially in areas such as Arlington.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

You can call Herald Writer Kate Reardon at 425-339-3455

or send e-mail to reardon@heraldnet.com.

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