Here’s what Colorado travelers can expect for Thanksgiving week
Winter conditions are likely to compound heavy traffic on Interstate 70
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Thanksgiving travel in Colorado could be mired in dense traffic and winter conditions next week, with multiple days of snowfall and a record-breaking number of motorists projected to flock across the U.S.
“Those traveling before Thanksgiving will definitely want to monitor the weather, especially those traveling through the mountains,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Bernie Meier. “It looks like it will be tricky.”
Following a fairly dry week, snow could begin to fall Sunday evening in mountain areas, with as much as 5 inches of accumulation possible by Monday, Nov. 25, according to Meier. Monday afternoon could see a brief dry spell before the return of snow on Tuesday that lasts possibly through the end of next week.
The second wave could be stronger in terms of snowfall, though Meier said current forecasts are still unclear.
Unlike previous systems that have mostly favored the state’s southwestern corner, Meier said, “All the mountains could possibly see decent snowfall out of this system, come next week.”
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The worst road conditions will be seen on high-elevation passes and near the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels on Interstate 70.
“We’re not looking at any bitter-cold temperatures, but during nighttime hours those temperatures will get below freezing and it should be pretty easy for snow to accumulate on the roads during the darkness,” Meier said.
OpenSnow.com founding meteorologist Joel Gratz, in a Nov. 21 blog post, said there remains a lot of variability when predicting the timing and amount of snow that will fall next week. Indicators point to the potential for double-digit snow totals by Wednesday across much of the mountains.
“During most of this round of snow, the wind direction will likely blow from the west-southwest with somewhat warmer temperatures, and this could favor the most snow falling in the higher elevations on the west side of the southern and central mountains,” Gratz wrote.
Another round of snow could hit Friday, Nov. 29, or that weekend, though Gratz said he currently has “low confidence in these details.”
Nationwide, Thanksgiving travel is expected to break records, according to AAA.
The organization projected there could be 79.9 million travelers heading 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period, which it defines as Tuesday, Nov. 26 to Monday, Dec. 2. That surpasses last year’s record of 78.2 million, representing a potential 2% increase.
The vast majority of those people — 71.1 million — will travel by car, representing 1.3 million more motorists on the road than last year. Air travel is also expected to set a new record, with AAA projecting that 5.8 million people will fly domestically this holiday period, an increase of 2% from last year.
“Remember, travel is an economic choice,” said AAA regional spokesperson Skyler McKinley in a Tuesday news release. “While post-pandemic pessimism about the economy lingers, it hasn’t borne out in travel trend lines — which is good news for Colorado’s hospitality industry, even as travelers can expect choked-up roadways and long lines at airports.”
Gas prices are trending down compared to 2023, with the national average last Thanksgiving Day being $3.26. In Colorado, the average price per gallon was $2.94 as of Thursday while at that time last year it was $3.14.
Gas remains most expensive in mountain areas, with Pitkin County — home to Aspen — taking the top spot at $4.42 per gallon.
According to AAA, the worst times to travel by car next week will be Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon while the best time will be Thanksgiving Day itself when interstates and highways are typically clear. Motorists returning home Sunday are advised to leave early that morning while those coming back Monday should prepare for a mix of travelers and work commuters on the road. Drivers can check the latest travel alerts by going to COTrip.org and sign up for text and email alerts for the I-70 mountain corridor. The latest weather conditions can be found at Weather.gov.
