During the holiday season, traffic is expected to increase significantly in Virginia and Maryland, with record-breaking numbers of travelers. Both states are implementing traffic management measures, including lane closures and suspensions of work zones, to help ease congestion. Travelers are advised to plan ahead, check travel advisories, and drive safely.
This holiday season is expected to be the busiest on record, with over 122 million Americans traveling by air and car between December 20 and January 1, driven by increased domestic flights and road trips, especially around the weekends before Christmas and after New Year's.
A storm system is expected to disrupt Thanksgiving travel plans in the central and eastern US, with severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, and snow forecasted. Over 3,000 flights have been delayed and 60 cancelled, while 2.7 million passengers are expected to fly on Wednesday. The Department of Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, reminded air travelers of their rights, including full refunds for cancelled flights. Wyoming is under a winter storm warning, and lower gas prices and more affordable flights have contributed to increased travel this year. Chicago airports are expected to be busy, and traffic has already piled up in the Washington, DC area. Buffalo Niagara International Airport has reopened after a car explosion at the US-Canada border, and Thursday's forecast looks fairly pleasant.
San Francisco International Airport is preparing for its busiest Memorial Day weekend in years, with departing and arriving passengers expected to surpass 140,000 people total. The expected passenger count this week continues the upward trend in air travel reaching for the 2019 peak. Road travel is also expected to see a bump this weekend as AAA anticipates that nearly 3 million more people will be on the road than last year.
AAA predicts that Memorial Day weekend will be the busiest in years, with 42.3 million Americans traveling 50 miles or more from home, a 7% increase from last year. Air travel is expected to increase by 11% year-over-year, with nearly 3.4 million travelers expected to fly. Drivers are encouraged to leave early in the morning and avoid driving on Friday between 3 and 6 p.m. and returning home on Monday from noon to 3 p.m. AAA advises travelers to be patient, kind, and alert, and to have a Plan B or C in place for any potential turbulence.
The Memphis Grizzlies have limited their players' ability to go out during road trips following concerns about their behavior. This comes after Ja Morant's suspension for flashing a gun in a Colorado strip club, which he broadcast on Instagram Live. Morant was suspended for eight games by the NBA, and the team is now traveling home immediately after more road games, particularly from "glitzier" cities like Miami. Morant has spent time in a counseling program in Florida after stepping away from the team on March 4.