Thanksgiving travel: how to prepare for treacherous travel

As Thanksgiving approaches, millions of travelers are hitting the roads and airports for the holiday.

But the great weather in the Rogue Valley won’t be sticking around much longer, and that could affect your travel plans.

The Rogue Valley had beautiful clear skies Tuesday, but other areas like Eugene weren’t so lucky. And with some harsher weather coming fast, travel officials are urging people to prepare for the worst.

According to the Oregon Department of Transportation, due to the recent lack of rain, this week’s weather could cause oil grime to come up off the pavement making for slippery highways.

“Many times we see drivers, especially those that aren’t from this area, don’t slow down and they lose control, and either run into the barrier or run off the road,” said ODOT spokesman Gary Leaming, “On long distance trips you may encounter weather that halts traffic, you may encounter a crash that halts traffic, so just be prepared.”

If you’re flying, airport officials recommend you go through your bags to make sure no prohibited items are accidentally packed.

“That is going to slow down the process if those things are found in a carry on bag,” said Rogue Valley International Medford Airport Security Deputy Director, Debbie Smith, “so just double check your bag before you pack it.”

Smith also recommends you check-in to your flight ahead of time, so you get notifications on it’s status.

For updated road conditions throughout Thanksgiving week, you can go to tripcheck.com or call 511.