Fewer Nevadans to travel over holiday

By Amanda Finnegan

Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008 | 7:27 a.m.

A sour economy is keeping more Nevadans close to home this holiday weekend than last year.

Despite cheaper prices at the pump, AAA is projecting that 310,000 Nevadans will travel 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving holiday, a 6 percent drop from last year.

AAA reported this morning that the price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Las Vegas dropped to an average of $2.017 a gallon, which is down 93 cents from a month ago.

Drivers a year ago were paying an average of $3.153 a gallon in Las Vegas. The price peaked on June 21 at $4.279 a gallon.

Nationally, AAA is reporting that 41 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more this holiday. That number is down 1.4 percent from last year. The auto club said this is the first decline in Thanksgiving travel since 2002.

Airlines are expected to suffer, too. The Air Transport Association of America said it expects a 10 percent drop in air travel this holiday, compared to last year.

Las Vegans staying close to home or hosting family this weekend will find cool and possibly rainy conditions.

The National Weather Service said a storm system will sweep across the Las Vegas Valley, bringing a 30 percent chance of rain on Thanksgiving Day with temperatures reaching about 57 degrees.

The average high temperature on Nov. 27 is 61 degrees at McCarran International Airport, according to weather service records.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday will bring clearer weather with partly cloudy skies and highs in the low 60s, forecasters said.