12M Californians Expected to Travel During Holidays: AAA

Californians will be hitting the roads, rails and runways in record numbers this holiday season, all in an effort to strap on their skis or sip egg nog with Uncle Lou.

A recent AAA survey predicts more than 12 million California travelers will be heading out of town for the holidays – more than a 3 percent jump from last year. Nationwide, AAA expects 98.6 million people to travel more than 50 miles from their homes this season, up 4 percent from last year.

According to AAA Northern California spokeswoman Cynthia Harris, travelers are taking advantage of lower gas prices, consumer optimism and better scheduling.

“This year the holidays land on a Thursday, creating a holiday travel season that is one day longer than a year ago and the longest since 2008,” Harris said. “This makes travel scheduling for the period between Christmas and New Year’s more flexible.”

Speaking of dropped prices, airfares are down 7 percent this year, as AAA experts predict there will be 5.7 million people traveling by air.

There are, however, several winter weather advisories in effect if you’re heading through the Sierras to Grandma’s house or the ski slopes on Friday:

I-80 over Donner Pass: Expect snow and ice over 6000 feet
Route 50 through South Lake Tahoe: 3 to 6 inches of snow expected. Bring your chains!
I-5 North through Redding and Siskiyou: Wind advisory with a chance of rain or snow.

AAA officials recommend drivers test batteries and tires before leaving home.