National average gasoline price expected to hit $1.99

And there’s good news for the 42 million Americans expected to hit the road this week – gas prices across the country are the lowest they’ve been since 2008, AAA says. One reason for growing passenger numbers may be the fact that average airfares this Thanksgiving are only 69 cents higher than previous year, according to the Airlines Reporting Corp., which processes transactions for airlines.

For the first time in six years, the average national gas price is expected to be under $2 a gallon on Thanksgiving. Gasbuddy.com reported Tuesday prices of $1.94 in Benson, $1.96 in Hutchinson, $1.95 in Litchfield, $1.79 to $1.85 in Montrose, $1.89 prices in Morton and $1.97 in Sauk Centre.

In the NY region, airports are set to be packed with more fliers this year – the Port Authority said that 4 million people in total are scheduled to use area airports.

The Highway Patrol says most tow trucks and wreckers are closed during Thanksgiving, so clearing wrecks may take longer than usual.

Most tollway construction activity will be restricted over the weekend to accommodate them, although some lane closures will be in effect on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway between the Elgin Toll Plaza and IL 53 Friday through Sunday, tollway officials said.

With 300,000 additional holiday travelers, this marks the seventh consecutive year of growth for Thanksgiving travel.

Today families will be traveling to their Thanksgiving holiday destinations, whether by vehicle or by plane.

And in Pennsylvania, 1.3 million are expected to be on the road, according to AAA East-Central Public Affairs Director Chelsea Pompeani.

The national average for a gallon of regular is down to $2.14.

Sioux Falls has the lowest gas prices in the state at $1.84.

Thanksgiving Day will be cloudy, beginning with temperatures in the low to mid 70s and afternoon temperatures in the low to mid 80s, Goldsmith said. That’s up six percent from past year, they said. Columbus Airport is urging travelers to plan for extra travel time, pack light, and expect to check your bags.