Holiday in paradise: Pleasant weather expected throughout the week

It’s been a warm stretch of days in Manatee County, and forecasts say that’s not going anywhere for the holidays.

Temperatures will stay pleasant throughout the week, with highs projected to stay within the 70s. It’s perfect weather for residents and travelers alike. AAA says more than 100 million Americans will travel this holiday season, the most on record and a 3.1 percent increase over last year.

“More expensive gas prices are not swaying holiday revelers to stay home,” said Bill Sutherland, AAA senior vice president of Travel and Publishing. “In fact, across the board this year, travel has increased year-over-year for every major holiday weekend – Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving – and we project the same for the year-end holiday period.”

For those staying in or visiting the Bradenton area, though, the weather is ideal for all sorts of gatherings and outdoor activities.

Sunday should be the warmest day of the week, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures will top out at 79 degrees during the day and fall to 62 degrees at night. There’s a 30 percent chance of rain shortly after midnight, however.

Christmas will be a sunny, windy day, according to the NWS. It’ll also be a little cooler than Christmas Eve, with a 72-degree high and a low of 55, the coolest night of the week. From there, temperatures will rise again to 76 degrees Tuesday.

While Florida will be balmy on Christmas Day, it will be bone-chilling in the North with highs in the 20s and 30s in places like Minneapolis, St. Louis, Chicago and Cleveland, according to The Weather Channel. A storm system of snow and ice will move from the upper Midwest into the Northeast on Sunday and Monday, TWC reports.

Local highs will level out in the 70s and fall to the low 60s at night until Saturday, when the high drops to 72. A 20 percent chance of showers is expected Friday and Saturday.

Those who are planning to hit the road should avoid peak travel times, AAA said. Holiday travel times could be three times longer than they usually are.

“With record-level travelers hitting the road this holiday, drivers must be prepared for delays in major metros,” said Dr. Graham Cookson, chief economist & head of research at INRIX.

According to AAA, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale top this year’s nationwide travel destination list. Those heading that direction will want to depart in the early morning or right after the morning commute time in order to deal with the least traffic, the travel agency said.

Florida Highway Patrol has announced it will make an effort to be particularly active this week and keep an eye out for reckless, drunken or sleepy drivers, Spectrum Bay News 9 reports.

“Nothing is worse during the holidays than getting in a crash, or arrested, or worse,” Lt. Channing Taylor said.

This story was originally published December 23, 2017 at 6:14 PM with the headline "Holiday in paradise: Pleasant weather expected throughout the week."