December 24, 2009

Bad weather could make holiday travel a nightmare this weekend, as snowy and icy conditions are expected on the roadways this Christmas. However, the threat of wintry weather won't be enough to make drivers cancel their holiday plans.

Early Thursday morning, Barbara Javier loaded her jeep with presents and left her home in the Bronx, heading for Lynchburg, Virginia. According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, Javier is just one of nearly 88 million people expected to hit the road Thursday.

And if heavy traffic isn't already enough for drivers to think about, many are also facing some slippery and dangerous conditions on local roads. Melting snow and black ice are still a major issues on roadways, especially for drivers who have to travel rural roads.

Although Javier was a little worried about wintry weather impacting her trip, she wasn't going to miss spending the holiday with her family in Virginia.

"I thought we weren't going to be able to make it all the way. After getting off the highway and trying to get to the hills, where my dad lives, it's going to be pretty tough, but we made it this far so we're excited," said Javier.

AAA Mid-Atlantic is expecting 3 million more holiday travelers this year compared to 2008, and they say nearly 90% of them will be driving.