Nearly 7.7 million Southern California residents are expected to travel at least 50 miles away from home during the holiday period starting Friday, crowding freeways and airports amid a winter storm.
The Automobile Club of Southern California predicted that holiday travel through Jan. 2 will be up nearly 2 percent from last year and set an all-time record. Most people will drive, but 627,000 are expected to fly.
Airports across the region will be crowded and drivers could be slowed on Saturday by snow in the Cajon Pass and other mountain areas.
The winter storm bearing down on Southern California is expected to drop snow between 3,000 and 4,000 feet by Saturday morning.
“If this occurs as expected, it would severely affect travel into or through the mountains, even on heavily traveled Interstate 5 during the holiday weekend,” the National Weather Service said.
San Diego International Airport advised passengers to check with their airline before leaving home and plan to arrive two hours before their flight.
Caltrans suggested drivers check the online QuickMap for the latest traffic and any road closures. There’s also a mobile version of the map.
