The top Thanksgiving destinations where Washingtonians are flying

It turns out when the colder holidays hit, Washingtonians fly south.

The data-crunchers at Priceline.com have some idea where your Washington friends and neighbors are traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday. The discount travel website considered thousands of airline tickets that were purchased through its website before Nov. 1, with four destinations standing out as go-to destinations between Nov. 20-27.

“To narrow down the holiday findings for Washington State residents, we totaled up the tickets sold to customers with in-state billing addresses,” said Travel Analyst Brian Ek with Priceline.com.

So where are Washingtonians traveling for Thanksgiving?

1. California

2. Asia

3. Texas

4. Colorado

Not flying?

For the rest of us gathering around a Northwest table for Thanksgiving, the roads, not the airways, are of primary concern.

Check current driving conditions

According to WSDOT, some times are better for a Thanksgiving drive than others.

Wait times for ferries will likely be hefty, so plan for that.

The worst hit road in the region for Thanksgiving travel is the stretch of I-5 between Olympia and Tacoma on Wednesday. Drivers can expect heavy congestion in southbound lanes between 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. As expected, Northbound lanes will be rough between 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Moderate-to-heavy traffic will dovetail those travel times.

Eastbound drivers on I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass can expect traffic between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Wednesday. Westbound traffic will be at its height between 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

I-5 north of Bellingham is also expected to see its share of holiday traffic. Southbound lanes will be busiest from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday. Northbound lanes will experience the heaviest volumes on Sunday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Check WSDOT for other Thanksgiving traffic information.