Premium ContentClick on Premium Content on the Featured navigation bar for information.
Labor Day weekend weather? Awesome. Sunny, highs in the upper 70s to mid-80s. Warmer in western Nebraska. Most of the nation is projected to be storm-free.
Who's traveling? About 11 percent of the U.S. population — 34.4 million Americans. That's down from the 10-year average, but up 3.1 million from a year ago. Nebraska and Iowa are part of the region with the largest percentage of people — 14.3 percent — planning trips of 50 miles or more, according to AAA.
It's the economy: Travel will be up this year because the economy has improved and Labor Day holiday falls a bit earlier in September, AAA says. The regional economy in Nebraska, Iowa and surrounding states has fared better than the nation's economy as a whole.
Spending plans: Those surveyed by AAA expected to spend $697 on average, nearly $50 more than last year. Sixty-three percent planned to open their wallets for dining out, 47 percent for shopping and 43 percent to visit others.
Travel costs up: Gas prices are higher, on average, than last year.
In Nebraska: $2.75 per gallon, up 15.4 cents. In Iowa: $2.63 per gallon, up 14.3 cents. Nationwide: $2.68, up 7 cents.
Airfare is up about 9 percent, car rental prices about 7 percent.
Weather records: August's weather goes out with a bang: See page 6B. And the Labor Day holiday weather could be a lot worse — like the record high of 103 recorded in Omaha. See Nancy's Almanac at Omaha.com.
Sources: National Weather Service, AccuWeather, Inc., AAA
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
