ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Heavy, widespread snow is on its way as many people are returning from holiday celebrations. After a lull in travel on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, AAA predicts roads and airports will get busy again on Friday. It comes as the First Alert Weather is tracking up to six inches of snow on Friday afternoon and evening in the Rochester area.

News10NBC is tracking the latest on the travel rush from the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport. Dozens of people were lined up at the TSA check-in at 5 a.m. One family that we spoke with said they didn’t love waking up so early after Christmas, but they’re glad to be flying before the snowstorm arrives.

“We actually got a message via email saying that we should rebook our flights and that they would refund us,” Joyce Myers said. “If the storm’s coming, then no one’s getting through later today. So this is it. I mean, we’re really glad we have this. We’ll get out. We’ll get there.”

One flight to Detroit at 6:15 a.m. has been canceled, but the rest of the flights are listed as on time. You can see the latest status for Rochester’s flights here.

Also, make sure to track the status of your connecting flight if you have one. If you’re flying out of JFK or LaGuardia in Queens, beware that there’s a winter storm warning in the New York City area, along with parts of New Jersey and Connecticut, from Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon. Other parts of the northeast are also expected to get hit with a winter storm system. Before you head out, see our latest forecast here.

Holiday travel tips from AAA

Holiday season travel is expected to set a record this year, with AAA predicting that 122.4 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home through Jan. 1. That would be 2.2% more than last year, also a record-setting year.

So, how can you make your holiday travel plans run smoothly? Mark Gruba, a communications specialist with AAA, advises travelers to hope for the best but plan for the unexpected.

“Whatever you’re doing for the holiday, particularly if you’re road tripping, pack your patience. You can make the best plan possible, leave at the ideal time of day to avoid the traffic, and still run into traffic or severe weather. It’s great to get there on time, but its more important to get there safely,” Gruba said.

AAA has some resources to help travelers, including a list of peak congestion times by metro area and the best and worst times to drive. On Friday, the best time to travel is before 11 a.m. and the worst time is between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. For those traveling to New York City via the Long Island Expressway, keep in mind that traffic is expected to increase by 90% this holiday season.

This holiday season, nearly 90% of travelers are expected to drive, while 6.6% are expected to fly. Only 4% are expected to take a train or other modes.

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