Holiday Travel; Coastal Storm Expected to Bring Heavy Rain and Light Snow to Northeast
Byline: Lon Anderson
A AAA survey says that 37.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving holiday with 83 percent making those trips by car. Nearly 600,000 Washington area residents will be hitting the road, checking gas prices and keeping a watch on the weather.
Lon Anderson , director of Public and Government Affairs at AAA Mid-Atlantic, was online Wednesday, Nov. 23, at 1 p.m. ET to offer advice and travel tips.
Talk with other metro area residents about their ideas for holiday driving routes: Dr. Gridlock's Holiday Travel Forum .
A transcript follows.
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Lon Anderson: Good afternoon, everyone. Thanks for joining me to discuss our travel situation, exploding tanker trucks, snow and record crowds! Please, make safety a partner in whatever travel you do this holiday. AAA is projecting 683,000 Washingtonians heading out of town. that's a bunch, whether you are flying or dring, or taking Amtrak. Let's get started.
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Wash-to-Boston: These snow predictions have me scared -- I'm flying out very early Thursday morning, and if the weather grounds my plane and I have to spend Thanksgiving alone in an airport, I'll cry. How much snow does it take before they close airports and cancel flights?
Lon Anderson: Hello Wash-to-Boston: Smart question--You have every right to be concerned. The mere mention of snow in the DC area can cause panic--and it is being mentioned for tonight. The good news is, it should not interfere with your plans. Currently just a dusting is being predicted in our area. More in Boston, but Logan has lots of expereince with snow, and should ahve no problem taking care of what comes from this early winter storm. Perhaps the larger concern is that in the Ohio area they are saying as much as a foot. If that jams up the mid-west airports, that could cause delays here. Probably won't, but I'd check in with your air carrier. Good Luck and remember to drive carefully tomorrow morning!
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Arlington, Va.: Thanks for taking my question. If I'm driving from Washington, D.C. to New York City tonight (11/23), will getting a later start -- say, 10 p.m. -- help me avoid the worst of the Thanksgiving traffic?
Lon Anderson: Hello Arlington--Yes, that should help you avoid the worst of the traffic. but, you may face another bigger issue. Snow and precipitation is in the forecast for north and west. Please check the latest weather and use your discretion. Just a dusting can cause mayhem on our highways. Please be safe and have a happy!
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Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.: Hi and Happy Thanksgiving!
Have a 11 a.m. flight out of BWI to Boston tomorrow morning. Any ideas how crazy the roads and the airport will be? I'm hoping everyone will already be where they're going.
We're planning on leaving at 8 a.m. (takes 45 mins. to get to BWI normally) Think that's safe?
Thanks!
Lon Anderson: Hey Dupont Circle--Leaving 3 hours ahead from downtown is just barely enough time. We are suggesting for saftey sake to arrive at the airport 2 to 2 and a half hours early. Better to kill time at the airport than to be late. Hopefully you won't have any exploding tanker trucks in your way tomorrow. Remember, parking and security will probably take more time, but travel on Thanksgiving day should be lighter, so I think you'll be ok. Good question
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Washington, D.C.: Hi -- I, like many others, will be traveling north to New York/New Jersey from Washington D.C. tonight (Wednesday). My carpool campanions and I are arguing about whether we should jump in the car after work at 5-ish or wait until 9 or 10 p.m. Some of us think the traffic will be WAY better at 9 p.m., but some of us think it will be pretty much bad all night, and we might as well just get in the car and get started. Thoughts?
Thanks!
Lon Anderson: Hey Washington DC--You appear to be between the deveil and the deep blue...At rush hour tonight it could well be chaos. But a little later, Mother Nature could dump on your trip--a dsuting here, but much more being predicted for points north and west. I would watch the weather and make that your primary concern. Traffic jams won't kill you, but driving with huge numbers on slippery roads could. It's a really tough judgement call. Remember, the time the trip takes is not as important as the safety. Good luck, and have a great holiday!
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washingtonpost.com: Weather
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Arlington, Va.: Has 95 been reopened yet from the tanker explosion? What effect will it have on traffic today?
Lon Anderson: Hello Arlington--Yup, all but one lane is open right now on I-95. Maryland is laying down asphalt on the last lane right now according to my staff member John Townsend who is on the scene. MD SHA and the rescue folks have done an amazing job recovering from this crash. By later this afternoon, there may be little evidence of this horrific crash and traffic should be back to normal. Drive carefully!
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Silver Spring, Md.: Happy Holidays! My daughter is traveling on Thanksgiving morning from NYC to Maryland by Amtrak. Will Amtrak be affected by the dusting of snow? Are there any other possible delays for train travel on Thanksgiving Day? Thanks.
Lon Anderson: Hello silver spring--Amtrak should not be delayed--they are putting on extra trains, and can move pretty well unless it's a big storm, which hopefully this won't be in the east. Just the same, I'd advise keeping in touch with Amtrak --www.amtrak.com --for the latest, but would not really expect the weather to be a problem. Good Luck and Happy holidays!!
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washingtonpost.com: Amtrak
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Washington D.C.: Driving to Richmond, Va. and have heard horror stories about it taking three hours to get to Fredericksburg. Will 8 p.m. tonight be better than tomorrow morning at 8 a.m.? Should I take the HOV lanes, or stay in the regular lanes?
Lon Anderson: Hi Washington, DC--Can you still get to Fredericksburg from here?? Just kidding. I would think southbound I-95 tonight from DC to Fredericksburg in rushour traffic could be traumatic. Maybe not three hours but it could be close. I came up 95 from Richmond yesterday and from Quantico north it was stopped at 3 p.m. yesterday. Today could be worse. HOV lanes are generally a better bet, but crashes can change that instantly, and my crystal ball is sort of fuzzy on future crashes... That said, 8 a.m. tomorrow should be much smoother sailing. Please drive carefully and be safe.
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Belway Blues: I work in Merrifield off of exit 50a but live in Silver Spring off of Colesville Rd. My boss has given me the option to leave as early as 3 p.m. or stay as late as 7 p.m. What should I do? Is there an alternate route home? Would that route be better earlier or later. HELP!
Lon Anderson: Hey Beltway Blues, you're singing my song! Your question might be "don't we need --really need--another river crossing? Your choice from Merrifield, because I used to have an identical commute, is the American Legion Bridge, or through town. Sometimes Rt. 123 to Chain Bridge and then up through Northwest through Foxhall and Nebraska Avenue works, but sometimes it gets as slow as the Beltway. Just no easy way to get there. Help us lobby for another river crossing that will take tens of thousands of cars off the American Legion Bridge and Beltway. Keep a good attitude and leave early--since it may snow/rain later. Be safe!!
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Headed to Cleveland: Ack! If I have a 6:45 a.m. flight out of BWI into Cleveland tomorrow, am I looking at delays? I'll definitely check in with the airlines before I go, but I'm starting to worry that I'll be eating a cheeseburger from Burger King instead of turkey tomorrow!
Lon Anderson: Hello Cleveland-bound. What a fun city. I have family there and often do the same trip. I'd make the weather man your new best friend, and keep in touch with the airlines. The Ohio Valley could get dumped on, and there could be flight impacts. Keep checking. BWI should not be the problem since we are only supposed to get a dusting. But make sure you don't over sleep--get there in time. People who misss flights may be eating here, not there. Very few open seats for those who miss!! Enjoy. And say hi to my in-laws for me up in Rocky River.
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Arlington, Va.: I'm headed to Durham, N.C., and wanted to know if it's better to leave today, around early-mid afternoon, or wait until tomorrow morning?
Lon Anderson: Hello, Arlington--Traffic tomorrow morning will definitely be lighter, but you miss some time with family. It's a trade off, but I'd go for the easier drive since that's a lot of driving. thanksgiving day is actually a much better travel day all around. Enjoy and be safe.
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Princeton, N.J.: Planning turkey and family in Chevy Chase.Part of family is urging driving down thisevening. Other part (including me) thinking tomorrow morning is way better.Thoughts?
Lon Anderson: Princetown--Once you get past rush hour, it will probably be a toss-up except for weather. While we are only suppsed to get a dusitng here, you could be in for more up there. I'd let the weather be the guiding factor. Hope that helps. Be safe.
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Washington, D.C.: Hi, I'm flying out of Dulles early tomorrow morning and planning on parking there. Any word on if the remote lots are full or not?
Lon Anderson: Hello Washington, DC--If you get there early, there should be remote parking at Dulles. I talked with airport folks this morning, and they seemed confident. allow plenty of time, though. Good luck and be safe!
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Vienna, Va.: Planning to leave tonight around 9 p.m., taking I-270 to I-68 all the way into W.Va., and then I-79 north to Pittsburgh.
How crazy is this, exactly? Or will it be fine with fewer people on the road that late? (There's really no other way to do it -- can't leave any earlier, and waiting until tomorrow morning would not get us there in time unless we try to leave at 4-5 a.m. or something)
Lon Anderson: Vienna--it wont' likely be the traffic, but the weahter you need to focus on. without bad weather, I'd say good plan, but I think Pittsburgh may be in for some real snow. Make your your tires,your vehicle and your atttitude are ready for driving in snow! Enjoy the white stuff.
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Lon Anderson: Hey everyone--Thanks for this hour--it goes very fast. Have a great and safe Thanksgiving, and please feel free to contact me at AAA Mid-Atlantic for travel/road issues. My email is landerson@aaamidatlantic.com. Chow.
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