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Hitting the road?

By TIMES STAFF WRITER
Published May 25, 2006

	Weather
	Boating
	Highways
	Air Travel
	[Times illustrations: John Corbitt]

The AAA predicts that nearly 38-million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home over the Memorial Day weekend, more than 2-million of them Floridians. Here's what to expect:

Weather

There is a 30 percent chance of rain every day over the holiday weekend, still a pretty safe bet for outdoor activities - with a backup plan. There should be some sun every day, according to the National Weather Service. Highs will be in the mid 80s, hotter inland, with humidity around 65 percent. Winds will be light , except in thunderstorms. The UV index is forecast to be 10+, which is in the extreme range when sunburn can occur in 10 to 15 minutes.

Gasoline Prices

They have moved down from the peak that briefly saw unleaded regular surge above $3 a gallon, but the cost remains substantially higher than last year. Nationally, according to the AAA, the average price for self-serve regular is $2.88, up 76 cents from a year ago. In the Tampa Bay region, the average price is $2.76, up 65 cents from last year. Midgrade and premium gas remain above $3 a gallon nationally, although midgrade has dipped below that mark here. Diesel also is below $3. This area has among the lowest fuel prices in the state. The highest prices are on the East Coast. Despite the increased demand for gas over the holiday weekend, no shortages are expected, and prices are forecast to remain stable.

Highways

Of the 2-million Floridians expected to travel this weekend, nearly 1.7-million will go by car, the AAA says. Traffic is expected to start building as early as today, as some take advantage of an early getaway. For motorists using the interstates, there will be no construction to slow things down. Every project will come to a halt Friday evening, and work won't resume until Tuesday.

Boating

Except for the occasional rain squall and thunderstorm, it will be a nice weekend on the water, with south winds of 5 to 10 knots, 2-foot seas and light chop on Tampa Bay and inland water. There will be additional enforcement on the water watching for violations such as boating under the influence, insufficient life preservers for passengers, fishing license status and speeding in controlled areas. The Coast Guard plans to conduct more than the usual number of boardings to check on safety.

Air Travel

Tampa International Airport will be crowded, but not as crowded as the airplanes. There are fewer flights than there were last year, and therefore fewer seats. Virtually every seat over the weekend will be occupied. TIA has 257 daily flights, down from 276 last year. Total seats are 30,214, down from 32,491. On Tuesday, well before the start of the holiday weekend, nearly 29,000 of the available seats were occupied. "Everything is going to be jammed," said spokeswoman Brenda Geoghagan. "The planes will be flying full."

WEB SITES

* To track any commercial flight in the country:

http://flightaware.com

* To check the status of flights arriving at TIA:

http://www.tampaairport.com/flights/index.asp

* To check for the best gas and diesel prices:

http://www.gasbuddy.com

[Last modified May 25, 2006, 06:35:25]