Thanksgiving travelers hit the roads across Idaho

The week of Thanksgiving is one of the year’s busiest for travelers with an estimated 237,000 Idahoans driving out of town this week, according to AAA Idaho.

On Wednesday, Local News 8 found travelers from as far away as Canada refueling at the many gas stations lining Interstate 15.

“We’re on our way to Arizona,” said Jack Rayson of Alberta, Canada.

It’s a three-day drive, but Rayson and his wife said the distance isn’t the worst part.

“We had to stop in Helena last night. It snowed about six inches. We couldn’t even see the road,” said Rayson.

If you’re headed south on I-15 or west toward Boise, snow isn’t likely in the coming days. But authorities say you should watch out for wind.

“Be prepared ’cause those gusts can hit you all of a sudden and throw your car left to right, and if you overreact, panic, that’s when you end up losing control of the vehicle,” said Lt. Ismeal Gonzales with Idaho State Police.

Laura Asher, of Pocatello, is making the two-hour drive to her ranch south of Burley.

She said she isn’t worried about wind. But where she’s headed there’s no cell service, so she came armed with reinforcements.

“There’s extra food in the back in case we get stuck in the snow, which actually happens a lot. I’ve got snow shoes, I’ve got extra coats, sleeping bags,” said Asher.

Gonzales said you never know when you may get stranded, so it’s best to prepare.

“It’s not a bad idea to make sure that you have some way to make a fire in case you are stranded on the side of the road,” said Gonzales.

ISP provided the following tips for travelers:

Make sure you have extra food and blankets
Make sure your gas tank is full
Leave in plenty of time so you aren’t in a rush