LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — As more than 100 Million travelers are expected to hit the road to their holiday destinations, people here in our valley have a close eye on the weather and traffic, making sure they have a safe trip.
“That’s always first, make sure the family is good," said Las Vegas local since 1994, Alberto Pott.
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Pott plans on taking his wife and two kids down to Southern California for the holidays.
“To LA, to Redondo Beach, you know I have some family down there," said Pott.
He says they'll be visiting his brother and cousin over there, but he can't leave until Wednesday, Christmas Eve.
That's the same day heavy rainfall is expected to hit our valley.
“If it is raining, maybe I will change plans," said Pott.
Along with the wet weather, AAA projects 122.4 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home during the holidays from Dec. 20 through Jan. 1.
AAA says that breaks last year's record, plus 89% of those travelers (109.5 million people) will travel by car.
So those traveling between Los Angeles and Las Vegas on the I-15 during this time say they're keeping an eye on both and adjusting their plans to stay safe.
“I was going to my brother’s house in the desert, but since the rain, my sons and I are just going to barbecue at home," said Frank Armendarez, who is traveling back to Santa Monica from Las Vegas Monday.
“We were hoping to beat the weather and the traffic too, so trying to get out of here," said Mica Williams, who is driving back to Las Vegas with her son Monday.
“I like the drive, I like the roadtrips, I feel like if it gets too bad where I can’t take it, I’ll just pull over and wait it out," said Sophia Auciello, who just finished her trip to Las Vegas.
According to AAA, Las Vegas and Los Angeles are both named in their list of the Top 10 year-end driving destinations.
Along with travelers, you'll also see plenty of police on our roads and freeways. All local agencies are joining forces for a campaign aimed at removing impaired drivers from the road, plus there's also an active Southern Nevada Traffic Task Force in place designed to place more police on our streets to tackle reckless driving and to reduce the number of deadly crashes in our valley.
Once again, the rain is not expected to fully hit our valley until Wednesday, Christmas Eve, but we will make sure to track all things weather and traffic to make sure you know what to expect if you're hitting the road during the holidays.
