WA holiday travel might be tough due to weather, traffic. Here’s what you need to know
As the holiday weekend shifts into gear in Washington state, travelers should expect to take extra precaution on the road as traffic bubbles up and a winter storm brews statewide. Here’s what you need to know about the ongoing weather advisory, as well as what to expect this weekend on your traffic route or airport plans:
Winter weather
Anyone traveling for the holidays should pay attention to weather conditions, says Cara Mitchell of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). She said the most challenging obstacle drivers would face this holiday season is intense weather conditions.
As of early Thursday afternoon, Tacoma, Bellingham, Seattle and Olympia were under a winter storm warning through 7 p.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
Mitchell urged travelers to be prepared to adapt at a moment’s notice. Drivers should expect to lower speeds, check routes for traction tire and chain requirements, use four-wheel drive when possible, wear appropriate winter clothing and fill their gas tanks. Drivers also should check statewide pass conditions before getting on the road. To plan ahead, check out the department’s web page for tips on winter driving safety.
WSDOT has released Christmas weekend traffic charts that show what times traffic is expected to be congested across the state. The department only releases the charts when the holiday weekend is three days or more.
Interstate 5
Historically, the northbound route from Lacey to Tacoma on Interstate 5 experiences the most congested traffic during the holidays each year, Mitchell says. Here’s what to expect:
Thursday afternoon: Expect congestion through 5 p.m. and moderate traffic past 9 p.m.
Friday: Heavy traffic most of the day, with moderate traffic starting at 6 a.m. and congestion bringing drivers to halt from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. Then moderate traffic resumes through 8 p.m.
Saturday: Moderate traffic picks up at 8 a.m. with congestion between 10 a.m. through 1 p.m. The interstate will see moderate traffic through 9 p.m.
Sunday: Contains the least traffic of the weekend, with moderate traffic peaking around 1 p.m., remaining steady up through 9 p.m.
Monday: The morning rush doesn’t come this Monday, as traffic starts to pick up at 9 a.m., becomes congested from 11 a.m. through 2 p.m., then drops down to moderate traffic from 3 into 9 p.m.
Similarly, the interstate’s southbound route from Tacoma to Lacey will experience high traffic volume in the coming days:
Thursday afternoon: Traffic congestion is expected to continue through 5 p.m. then will fall to heavy and moderate traffic up past 9 p.m.
Friday: At 6 a.m., traffic is moderate and gets busier through 9 a.m. Traffic is expected to be congested from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. then moderate from 6 into 9 p.m.
Saturday: Moderate traffic begins to ramp up at 8 a.m. and becomes congested from 10 a.m. through 1 p.m. Moderate to heavy traffic then continues from 2-9 p.m.
Sunday: Christmas also brings less traffic on the southbound route, with traffic being moderate most of the day, but congested from noon into 1 p.m.
Monday: The route’s usual early-morning rush doesn’t come until 10 a.m., at which point you should expect congestion up through 4 p.m.
Interstate 90
Unlike I-5, the east-to-west Interstate 90 won’t experience nearly as much traffic on most days. Here is a rundown of what to expect on the eastbound route from North Bend to Cle Elum:
Thursday afternoon: Moderate traffic will continue to 3 p.m.
Friday: Heavy traffic is expected to pick up around 8 a.m., peak at 11 a.m. then slowly decrease through the afternoon.
Saturday: Moderate traffic is expected from 8 a.m. up past noon, then be calm for the rest of the day.
Sunday: Christmas Day will experience moderate to heavy traffic from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m.
Monday: Unlike the weekend, high congestion is expected from 10 a.m. into 1 p.m., then dip down into heavy traffic up until 4 p.m.
The interstate’s westbound route from Cle Elum to North Bend follows a similar pattern:
Thursday afternoon: Moderate traffic will only continue up through 4 p.m.
Friday: At 11 a.m., heavy traffic begins picking up then starts falling into lighter traffic about 4 p.m. and past 5 p.m.
Saturday: There will be more moderate traffic starting around 11 a.m. and noon, plateaus for a few hours until it drops after 4 p.m.
Sunday: Heavier traffic starts about 1-2 p.m. then falls back to calmer activity at 5 p.m.
Monday: Similar to the eastbound route, expect traffic to ramp up at 11 a.m. before congestion brings cars to a halt from noon and after 4 p.m. Then there’s high traffic about 5-6 p.m.
U.S. 2
Unlike the past two interstates, the U.S. 2 between Stevens Pass and Skykomish won’t see anywhere near as much traffic. The eastbound route’s activity from Skykomish to Stevens Pass is expected to be as follows:
Thursday afternoon: Light traffic.
Friday: Congestion at 8 a.m. with high traffic expected from 9 a.m. through 3 p.m.
Saturday: Moderate to high traffic on and off from 8 a.m. through 1 p.m.
Sunday: Christmas Day will see steady moderate to high traffic from 8 a.m. through 3 p.m.
Monday: Drivers should expect congestion at 8 a.m., 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., with high traffic set in between.
The westbound route from Stevens Pass to Skykomish carries a similar pattern, though heavier traffic is slanted toward later in the afternoon and early evening:
Thursday afternoon: Moderate traffic through 4 p.m.
Friday: There will be high traffic starting at 1 p.m., leading into congestion at 3 p.m. then falling in moderate traffic through 5 p.m.
Saturday: Moderate traffic from 2 past 4 p.m.
Sunday: Christmas Day will see moderate traffic at 2 p.m., peak at 4 p.m. then slowly fall through the afternoon.
Monday: This is the only day of higher-than-normal traffic. Moderate traffic picks up at 11 a.m. and gradually rises to congestion from 3 through 4 p.m., falling to heavy traffic through 7 p.m.
For other live traffic updates, check the state department’s Twitter page for weather-related traffic notifications such as lane closures, collisions and road conditions.
Air travel
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport reported Wednesday that it expects airport traffic to be back to pre-pandemic levels. Its Twitter post noted that “the busiest days to travel are Thursdays and Fridays as well as Sundays and Mondays, with TSA security checkpoints busiest at SEA from 5-10 a.m., 2-5 p.m., and 9-11 p.m.”
The airport’s social media account added that Friday will be one of the busiest days of the year. It recommended travelers arrive at the airport two hours prior to your flight’s boarding time, or three hours for international flights.
If you don’t want to wade through the line at TSA, you can reserve a spot to check in using the airport’s Spot Saver reservation program. Travelers can schedule an appointment for a TSA screening up to 72 hours before a scheduled departure. When you make an appointment, you will receive a QR code via email that you can use to check in to your assigned checkpoint. Spots can be reserved between 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the second, third and fifth checkpoints and from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the third checkpoint.
