Gas prices drop in Merced County amid Christmas weekend. What local travelers should know

With the Christmas weekend ahead, millions of motorists will take to California highways this weekend to have holiday gatherings with family members near and far.

However, unlike Thanksgiving, this time around drivers will see a little relief at the gas pump. Bloomberg reported the national average of gasoline was $3.21 a gallon as of Tuesday, according to auto club AAA. That’s the cheapest price American motorists have paid in more than 14 months.

While the price of gas isn’t quite that low yet in Merced, it’s getting close at some stations. For example, Costco in Merced and Sinclair at 1411 V St. both reported regular unleaded gas for $3.37 a gallon, according to GasBuddy.com.

Chances are those lower gas prices will contribute to more drivers on the road. AAA estimates 102 million Americans will drive to their holiday destinations this weekend, an additional 2 million drivers compared to 2021.

Travel by car this year is on par with 2018 but shy of 2019 when 108 million Americans drove out of town for the holidays, the highest year on record, AAA said in a news release.

Bloomberg reported gasoline’s seasonal weakness this year is compounded by softer-than-usual demand, which fell to its lowest level for this time of year since 1998, excluding 2020, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The drop is driven by improving fuel efficiency in the long term and a winter storm sweeping the country in the short term.

Pressure is building on the supply side as well, with Europe poised to export an excess of the fuel to the U.S. As a result, stockpiles have grown for five straight weeks to levels exceeding those at the same time last year, according to Bloomberg.

Drivers should get ready for fog

Although driving on the freeway during early morning hours has its advantages, Merced County travelers should be prepared for weather conditions.

Meteorologist Modesto Vasquez with the National Weather Service in Hanford said motorists traveling from the Merced area should expect heavy fog conditions in the late night and early morning hours from now through the weekend.

Plus, highway construction on Highway 99 is still ongoing, which means freeway drivers need to use special care when traveling through the Merced/Atwater area, particularly when there is low-visibility due to fog.

Motorists traveling out of the Merced area for the holiday weekend may experience especially thick fog if heading south in the morning hours in the direction of the Grapevine toward Los Angeles, according to Vasquez. The Grapevine area is expected to see fair weather conditions over the weekend.

Drivers heading north should also brace for foggy conditions. “Traveling in the Valley is going to be the most problematic for people traveling into the Bay Area,” said Vasquez.

Once motorists exit the Valley, conditions are likely to improve into the Bay Area.

Those traveling to the Reno and Lake Tahoe area could see some rain near those ares beginning Thursday night into Friday morning, according to Vasquez.

When leaving for their destinations, Vasquez advises motorists to allow themselves plenty of time to get where they are headed.

According to Vasquez, in low visibility conditions motorists should drive slower than usual and increase distance between themselves and other motorists.

Utilizing the low beam setting on headlights while driving through heavy fog at night is advised, according to Vasquez.

Because Christmas and New Year’s Day both fall on a Sunday this year, the amount of travel on roads is expected to increase between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2, said Brian Ng, senior vice president of membership and Travel Marketing for AAA in Northern California.

The association said drivers may run into less traffic congestion if they can avoid the peak hours. Usually, freeways have less traffic before 2 p.m. and after 8 p.m. Friday should be a busy traffic day.

Meteorologists expect the Merced area to see high temperatures in the low 60s on Friday with a low of about 38 to 42 degrees. On Saturday, temperatures are expected to reach about 60 degrees with a low expected around 40 to 43 degrees, according to Vasquez.

Sunday’s weather will probably remain dry through the Christmas holiday, although the weekend will be partly cloudy. Vasquez said there is the potential that the area could see some rain starting around Tuesday, Dec. 27.

Motorists traveling to the Yosemite Valley for the holiday weekend can expect Friday temperatures with a high of 57 and low of 37. Saturday temperatures are expected to reach about 62 degrees for the high with a low of 39 degrees. Temperatures are expected to reach a high of 66 degrees on Sunday with a low of about 40 degrees, according to Vasquez.

Vasquez said the Yosemite area could see a slight chance of rain on Thursday night as a weak system is expected to move through the area. According to Vasquez, snowfall is not expected at elevations below about 7,500 feet.

CHP keeping eye out for drunk drivers

According to the California Highway Patrol, all available officers will be on the road during a Maximum Enforcement Period to assist motorists and pedestrians as well as looking for impaired drivers over the holiday weekend.

“With anticipated high volumes of traffic, and impending winter storms, the CHP wants you to slow down, buckle up, and never drive impaired, said CHP Commissioner Amanda Ray in a news release.

According to the CHP’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System data, 28 people were killed in California crashes during the Christmas Maximum Enforcement Period in 2021. The CHP said that during last year’s 54-hour enforcement period, officers issued 1,151 citations for speeding violations, 16 citations for occupants not restrained properly and made 341 arrests for driving under the influence.

The Maximum Enforcement Period will begin at 6:01 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 23, and continue through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 25, according to the release. Additional focus will be placed on speeding, which is a primary cause of crashes in the state, according to the release.

“Give yourself some extra time to get to your destinations, make sure your vehicles are fueled up and properly equipped for your travels, and most of all, always designate a sober driver,” said Ray in the news release.

Catching a flight?

According to AAA, air travel will see a 14% increase over last year, with nearly 7.2 million Americans expected to fly.

Flights and airports will be packed this holiday season, reminiscent of pre-pandemic days. Demand for flights has surged despite higher airline ticket prices. AAA said in a news release the organization expects the number of people taking holiday flights this year will come close to matching 2019 when 7.3 million Americans traveled by air.

The Modesto Bee’s Ken Carlson contributed to this report.