Roadways were busy tonight as travelers start their holiday travel early. Almost a third of the U.S. population is expected to travel this holiday season.
AAA says some 100 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between today and January third.
A sign of a trend over the last seven years that more Americans are celebrating away from home.
Thousands of travelers drove through Grapevine today. Many leaving early in hopes of beating the holiday traffic and potential wet weather.
"It’s a little grey but so far the roads look pretty good when we started, hopefully they stay that way," said Patrick Evans who was traveling from Sacramento to Phoenix.
Some travelers said they left as early as six this morning to make sure they would make it safely to their destination.
"Well we wanted to get over the Grapevine, we didn’t know what the weather was going to be like," said Debra Parsons who was driving from Lodi to San Diego.
Dark clouds hung over the Grapevine all day and some drivers said their could feel the weather conditions.
"Pretty windy actually, the car was like moving and there was a little bit of traffic, but not too bad," said Monique Moghli who was driving from LA to Turlock.
Many drivers fueled up on gas and caffeine for the drive.
California Highway Patrol reminds drivers to pack extra blankets, water and snacks for your travel. They also remind drivers to take lots of breaks so that you don't become fatigued and to increase following distance between each car.
Strong winds and potential rain and snow are expected tomorrow night, so be sure to check back for the latest traffic and weather conditions.
