Bay Area travelers get ready to take to air, roads for Thanksgiving as more storms approach

Sunday, November 24, 2024 11:35PM PT
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The busiest travel season of the year is officially upon us once again.

This week, as many as 80 million Americans are expected to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday. With many of them traveling by air, transportation officials say, they're ready.

"TSA is expecting a potentially record-breaking holiday travel season. If recent experience is any guide, these will likely be some of the busiest travel days in US history," said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Not everyone will be flying though, and AAA says it expects roadways to be congested.

That might be especially true in and around the Bay Area, where another week of stormy weather is expected to impact travel plans.

MORE: Thanksgiving travel numbers may break records in 2024

The Tahoe region is set to receive several feet of snow over the coming days.



"Have your chains, your chain tensioners, make sure that you put them on your tires and that they actually are fitted correctly," said Kevin "Coop" Cooper.

That message was seemingly heard by many at the Sports Basement in San Francisco's Marina District Sunday night. Assistant Manager Craig Charnley says business has been up over the past few days.

"This is the first round of people hitting the snow. The ski areas got ready. They opened a few days early," Charnley said.



While the roads are expected to be icy and clogged, that's not scaring everyone away. Graham Breitbarth says he visits Tahoe for Thanksgiving most years, and is determined not to let this year's weather change that.

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"I actually went up last year as well, and I drove up around 1 a.m. during the middle of a snow storm. So, I think I can handle it this year as well," Breitbarth said.

And once folks actually arrive and the storms subside, Cooper says visitors will likely be in for a holiday treat.

"We're going to be starting anywhere from a foot to two, three feet of base, which is going to be great for the Thanksgiving holiday," Cooper said.



A Winter Storm Warning will be in effect for the Tahoe region from Monday until Wednesday morning.

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