Low gas prices ease holiday travel

The good news for Thanksgiving travelers: The price of gasoline is at a five-year low. The bad news: A lot more people will be on the road.

AAA reported an average fuel price of $2.85 per gallon across the nation as the holiday approaches, 43 cents cheaper than a year ago. The average in Modesto as of Monday was $2.91, according to www.modestogasprices.com.

Drivers in the area can expect patchy morning fog Wednesday and Thursday, then a chance of rain from late Friday through Sunday. Snow is forecast for the middle and upper elevations of the Sierra Nevada, about a two-hour drive for Modesto-area families who yearn to go sledding or throw snowballs.

The Dodge Ridge ski area near Pinecrest could open in early December if this storm pans out and more snow follows, marketing manager Sean Waterman said. “We’re prepared to open on 48 hours’ notice once we have enough snow,” he said.

That would be far better than last winter, which had a storm-free stretch in most of December and January, delaying Dodge’s opening to Feb. 12.

The National Weather Service projected 0.5 to 1 inch of rain in Modesto through the weekend and 1 to 2 inches in the Sierra foothills.

During the long holiday weekend, 46.3 million Americans are expected to go 50 miles or more from home, the highest number since 2007, according to AAA, a travel agency and car lobbying group. That would be a 4.2 percent increase over last year.

While promising for the travel industry, the figure is still 8.5 percent short of the 50.6 million high point reached in 2007, just before the recession.

AAA predicts that more than 5.6 million Californians plan to travel 50 miles or more over the upcoming four-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend, which would be the highest level since 2007 and a nearly 4 percent increase over last year.

In a statement, AAA Northern California spokeswoman Cynthia Harris noted that “increased disposable income is spurring an increase in consumer spending,” prompting more people to venture out.

AAA projects that more than 4.8 million Californians will drive to and from their destinations over the holiday weekend, an additional 600,000 will fly and nearly 200,000 are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, including trains.

Average airfare for the holiday weekend is $307.52, up 1.1 percent from last year, according to the Airlines Reporting Corp., which processes ticket transactions for airlines and travel agencies. That figure doesn’t include an average of $51 in additional taxes and fees passengers pay.

Those travelers staying at hotels also will spend more than last year. The average room rate this year is $115.85, up 4.6 percent from the same period last year, according to travel research firm STR.

This story was originally published November 24, 2014 at 5:47 PM with the headline "Low gas prices ease holiday travel."