A combination of rain and heavy post-Christmas traffic could make for slower-than-normal highway travel over the next several days.
The National Weather Service is predicting rain across the Upstate starting Friday and ending by Sunday night. Parts of the region could see more than three inches of rain, according to Doug Outlaw, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg office.
Outlaw expects rainfall to be heaviest on Saturday night and Sunday up until about noon.
There’s no concern about ice – in fact, temperatures on Saturday and Sunday will likely reach the 50s and 60s, Outlaw said.
Monday should be warm, with highs in the low 60s, and rain-free.
But through the rainy weekend, drivers need to take precautions, according to the auto club AAA.
On its website, AAA urges motorists to make sure they can “see and be seen.” Advice includes replacing old windshield wipers to avoid streaks and uneven cleaning, monitoring tire treads and inflation levels and checking all exterior lights.
Decelerating and braking can be especially important in rainy conditions, so paying close attention is a must. AAA discourages the use of cruise control in the rain because it can cause drivers to become less engaged and to lose reaction time. In the meantime, drivers should drive more slowly and leave more room between themselves and other vehicles than in dry conditions.
While rain isn’t expected to affect flights leaving from the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, officials encourage travelers to consider how much time it will take to drive to the airport.
It will be a busy weekend at GSP, especially on Sunday, said Tom Tyra, who serves as chief marketing and communications officer at the airport. He expects nearly 9,000 passengers to come in and out of GSP on Sunday and again on Monday.
Tyra said it’s important for passengers to arrive two hours before departure. He encourages visitors to pre-book parking at gspairport.com and to download their airline’s mobile app.
“The best advice is always to allow plenty of time and enjoy the journey,” Tyra said.
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Rain-soaked weekend in store for post-holiday travelers in Greenville
