2018 Puget Sound Christmas Travel Forecast: Which Days To Avoid

BELLEVUE, WA - Want to know when not to drive during the pre-Christmas week? Wednesday evening between 4 and 6 p.m.

That's according to the 2018 Christmas travel forecast from INRIX and AAA. Traffic could be up to 2-1/4 times worse than usual during the evening rush hour on Wednesday.

More Americans than ever will travel this year, according to the forecast, including a record 102 million people nationwide traveling by car. Falling gas prices are a contributing factor, according to the forecast. Gas prices are at about $2.46 on average nationwide, but are much higher in Puget Sound - about $3.44 per gallon on average, according to Gas Buddy.

Up in the skies, 6.7 million will fly to a holiday destination, the highest number in 15 years, according to the forecast.

"With a record-level number of travelers hitting the road this holiday, drivers must be prepared for delays in major metro areas – with Thursday, December 20 being the nation's worst day to travel," said Trevor Reed, transportation analyst at Kirkland-based INRIX. "Our advice is to avoid traveling during peak commuting hours. If schedules allow, leave bright and early, or after the morning commute."

Weather may also be a compounding factor for holiday travel around Puget Sound this week. On Thursday - expected to be one of the busier travel days - a windy, heavy rainstorm will hit the region, according to the National Weather Service. That rain will fall as snow at Stevens and Snoqualmie passes.

Read more about the 2018 Christmas traffic forecast here.

Image courtesy WSDOT