What to expect on this busy holiday travel weekend in Ga., S.C.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – A busy holiday travel season continues at airports and on the roadways nationwide on Friday – and Georgia and South Carolina will be no exception.

Airports will deal with the majority of the travel congestion, according to AAA. The weekend after Christmas will most likely experience the most of that.

“I guess typical travel during the Christmas time,” said Chris, a flier at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport – the world’s busiest and one of the two main hubs most Augusta fliers pass through.

ON THE ROAD

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1. Nationwide: $3,03 per gallon
2. Georgia: $2.90 per gallon ($2.84 in Augusta)
3. South Carolina: $2.75 ($2.78 in Aiken)

He is one of millions traveling this holiday season. Despite record-breaking predictions for this travel period, he told Atlanta News First his experience wasn’t too bad.

“Pretty smooth for me, nothing out of the ordinary,” he said.

AAA projects 119 million people will travel 50 miles or more from their homes over this travel period, which ends Jan. 1, 2025.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought. When I came through Atlanta on Monday it was very easy. It was crowded but easy,” said Raydeana Hunt, a passenger.

Hunt was returning to Georgia from visiting family in North Carolina.

Meanwhile in North Carolina, Charlotte Douglas International Airport – the other hub that serves most Augusta fliers – is buzzing with activity.

During the period of Dec. 20 through Jan. 5, airport officials estimate more than 2.75 million people will depart from the airport.

Dec. 26 and 27 are both what they call “peak days” for the airport as travelers leave their Christmas plans and others start New Year’s travel. The airport estimates holiday travel this year will be nearly 10% busier than in 2023.

For context, the Thanksgiving travel season just a month ago set a record with 990,000 passengers departing the airport between Nov. 21 and Dec. 2.

Across the U.S.

Nationwide, severe weather could affect some people’s travel plans.

Parts of Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas were under severe weather watches early Friday as the National Weather Service predicted a storm system in the Gulf of Mexico could bring high winds, hail and possible tornadoes to the region.

“Heavy showers and thunderstorms continue to race across Louisiana and the Gulf waters at this time, with SETX in the clear for the rest of tonight. Please stay safe all,” the weather service’s office in Lake Charles, Louisiana, posted on the social platform X shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday.

The weather service issued a tornado warning late that afternoon for parts of Texas northeast of Houston, meaning weather radar indicated there was a tornado in the area. There were no immediate reports of damage.

After a line of thunderstorms started moving across parts of Texas, more than 100 flights were delayed and dozens more canceled at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Delays and thunderstorm-related cancellations also were reported at Dallas’ Love Field and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, according to FlightAware, an aviation company that tracks flights across the world.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott activated state emergency response resources because of the increased severe weather threat.

“As Texans and out-of-state visitors begin traveling after the Christmas holiday, it’s crucial that everyone regularly monitor road conditions, make an emergency plan and heed the guidance of state and local officials,” Abbott said in a statement.

The greatest weather risk was forecast for a stretch of Texas east of Dallas, between Houston and portions of southern Arkansas and western and northern Louisiana, said Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center.

“There does look like the possibility of one or a few tornadoes with this risk, but the main risk will be with high winds and hail,” Hurley said, adding that he expected wind gusts generally between 60 and 80 mph (96 to 128 kph), and hail 1 inch in diameter or greater.

The storms were likely to push into southern Arkansas and western and northern Louisiana after nightfall, posing a potentially dangerous situation for holiday travelers, Hurley said.

“People can’t see a whole lot and may not be as weather aware,” he said.

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