WASHINGTON — It's almost an annual tradition: holiday traffic congestion.
Peak travel days for Thanksgiving are expected to be Wednesday, Nov. 27 and Sunday, Dec. 1.
If you or a loved one are traveling over Snoqualmie Pass, prepare for backups on both days according to Washington State Department of Transportation travel charts.
The busiest days on I-90 are expected to be eastbound on Wednesday and westbound on Sunday when traffic will be more congested than normal nearly all day.
I-90 will begin to see heavy congestion as early as 11 a.m. Wednesday. Drivers can expect heavy congestion on Wednesday between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., Friday between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Saturday between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Sunday between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The best times to be on the roadway are before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m.
For those sticking closer to home, things may also get crowded right before and after the holiday.
"It's just going to be slow in general," said Ryan Overton with WSDOT East.
Drivers are still going to see slowdowns on I-90, Overton says, as people head off on the long weekend.
"You know the Freya/Thor exit is already kind of a pinch point for congestion and all the way through Liberty Lake and into Idaho there will likely be some congestion, slower traffic and higher volumes," he said. "The peak travel time on Wednesday is probably gonna be 2 pm to 6 pm so if you can avoid those times, either leave earlier or later, you'll probably have much smoother sailing."
Overton says returning traffic on Sunday may be more sporadic.
Drivers should prepare to see more Washington State troopers on the roads, too. Washington State Patrol emphasis patrols are ongoing, with the focus on Snoqualmie Pass and the highways around Washington State University.
Drivers will see an increased presence on Highways 26 and 195 and may also see an increase in traffic on those roadways over the weekend with WSU students heading back to school.
"We do anticipate some increased traffic coming back on routes like 26, Highway 195 Friday into Saturday because there is the home Coug game," Overton said.
The extra WSP patrols continue through Sunday, December 1.