Heavier-Than-Usual Traffic, Potential Storm Eyed For Thanksgiving
BOSTON (CBS/AP) — Busier-than-usual Massachusetts roads and the threat of a storm could make Thanksgiving travel tricky this week.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation says it expects heavy traffic on state highways and at Logan International Airport in Boston in the coming days. Peak volume is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday, and again on Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Massport says parking will be hard to find at Logan and suggests other means of getting to the airport, such as the MBTA and Logan Express buses.
AAA estimates that 46.3 million Americans will venture 50 miles or more from home over the holiday, a more than 4 percent increase from last year.
The lowest gas prices in four years could contribute to the travel surge. The most recent average price in Massachusetts was $2.93 per gallon for self-serve regular.
Weather could also pose a problem for travelers hitting the roads around Thanksgiving. WBZ-TV meteorologists say that while it's too early to forecast specifics, a storm bringing snow or rain could arrive in the Boston area on Wednesday night and into early Thursday morning.
" Looking very likely now that the East Coast is going to be very messy for Wednesday pre-Thanksgiving travel," WBZ-TV chief meteorologist Eric Fisher says. "Rain & snow both in play."
The National Weather Service in Boston said in a tweet Sunday morning that confidence is increasing for a Wednesday storm that could cause a "significant impact" to holiday travel.
Watch: Latest weather forecast
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