As the workweek starts to wind down, everyone is starting to prepare for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend. That being the case, we decided to provide you with 3 useful maps (because we love maps here at Geopointe) to help you manage your travel plans and have an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend getaway.
Weather
This memorial day weekend weather will vary for people around the country. As illustrated by the AccuWeather map below, the west coast will enjoy warm and sunny weather, which turns into high winds for the central coast, and possible rain and thunderstorms for the east coast. Depending on your location, make sure to be ready with sunblock, a windbreaker, or an umbrella.
Keep the weather in mind when managing your travel plans as well. Rain and wind can lead to flight delays or dangerous driving conditions, so make sure to give yourself extra time at the airport or if you plan to drive, consider having a spare tire handy. You don’t want to get stuck in the rain with a flat.
Traffic on the Road
According to AAA, 39.3 million Americans plan to travel 50 miles or more away from home this Memorial Day weekend. That’s 1 million more travelers than last year and the largest amount of travel we’ve seen for Memorial Day in the past decade. 88% of these travelers plan to travel via automobile. What does that mean for you? A lot of traffic.
The majority of travelers will be visiting large cities like Las Vegas, NV or New York, NY. Our suggestion is to stay clear of large cities or tourist attractions if you haven’t already made travel plans. Below is a snapshot of traffic on Memorial Day weekend a few years back to illustrate these traffic trends. The highways near the center of the city were, and most likely will be, heavily congested, compared to those on the outskirts of the city. Those highways are your best bet for a less congested drive.
If you own a smartphone, take advantage of Google Maps. It’ll keep you up to date on current traffic conditions and provide you with alternate driving routes when traffic is heavy. It’ll even help you remember where you parked when venturing out to popular spots like beaches or festivals.
Flight Delays
Data shows that 2.9 million Americans are taking to the skies this Memorial Day, a 5.5% increase compared to last year. As mentioned previously, most travelers are headed to large cities. With so many travelers planning to take flight, airports will be incredibly busy so flight delays are bound to happen.
This handy map from FlightAware shows live tracking of busy air traffic. While fun to look at, FlightAware serves a more practical use too. Before you head to the airport to catch your flight or pick up a visiting guest, use the flight tracker option to check the flight status in real time.
We hope these maps help you stay on top of your travel plans for Memorial Day weekend. Safe and happy travels from the Geopointe team!
