Long Island Weather, Travel Thanksgiving 2017 Outlook

There is a chance Long Islanders who are traveling to their Thanksgiving destinations may encounter some rain on the roads.

Rain, combined with the Long Island Expressway being predicted as the nation's second-most congested roadway this holiday, may result in a less-than-ideal commute.

Rain is supposed to hit Long Island on Tuesday night, but mostly after 1 a.m. on Wednesday, with a 70 percent chance of precipitation, according to the National Weather Service. Between a tenth and quarter of an inch of rain is possible, forecasters say.

On Wednesday, there is a 40 percent chance of rain before noon and the sky will be cloudy through mid-morning and gradually clear out later on, the NWS says. The weather will start improving from there. Wednesday night will be mostly clear and Thanksgiving day will be sunny. Thanksgiving night will be partly cloudy, forecasters say.

For those traveling after Thanksgiving (find the best times to travel here), the weather conditions will be more ideal. Skies will be partly sunny during the day and partly cloudy during the night from Friday morning through Monday night, according to the NWS.

Nearly 51 million people will travel for Thanksgiving, the highest number in 12 years, according to the American Automobile Association. What does that mean for traffic? AAA predicts that traffic in the most congested cities could take up to three times as long as the same trip under "optimal" conditions.

Most travelers will be driving, AAA said. That's despite the highest Thanksgiving gas prices since 2014. AAA predicts automobile travel will grow by 3.2 percent, with 45.5 million Americans planning a holiday road trip.

"A strong economy and labor market are generating rising incomes and higher consumer confidence, fueling a strong year for the travel industry, which will continue into the holiday season," said Bill Sutherland, AAA senior vice president, Travel and Publishing.

Google Trends released some holiday tips using historical Google Maps traffic data to figure out when the best times are to travel from Wednesday through Sunday. The best time to travel before Thanksgiving is Wednesday at 4 a.m. while the worst time is Wednesday at 4 p.m.

When you're coming home, do it the day after Thanksgiving, Friday at 4 a.m. The worst time is Sunday at 3 p.m., according to Google.

Patch has compiled tips to help you get through this traffic-heavy holiday weekend whether you're traveling by car, train or plane. Check them out here: Best, Worst Times To Travel On L.I. This Thanksgiving Weekend

Live Traffic Conditions

The interactive traffic map will show how the roads look. It's color coded. The green lines mean traffic is moving well. The yellow means delays, and red means the road is pretty well jammed.

Step 1: Click on the the tab in the upper left corner. It says View larger map.

Step 2. Go to the upper left corner in the larger map and click on the three horizontal bars.

Step 3. Click on Traffic.

This will show you live traffic conditions, including accidents.

Patch graphic