Arizona weather was expected to stay mild through the holiday weekend, and the Arizona Department of Transportation promised no road work until Dec. 2 but recommended “expecting the unexpected” and being patient while navigating traffic.The state highway department reported no expected major highway closures in the state.The National Weather Service predicted highs in the 70s and sunny or partly sunny skies through the holiday in the Phoenix area with no expected rain and calm winds. Lows were expected to dip into the mid-50s. Flagstaff, too, was expected to be clear and calm with daytime highs just above 50 and overnight lows just about 20 degrees.Nationally, there were few serious weather advisories, but the weather service issued freeze warnings in a band stretching across central Texas east to Alabama. The most disruptive weather remained around the Great Lakes with winter weather alerts in place.The calm weather led to a relatively smooth holiday for air travelers. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport reported only one canceled flight on Thanksgiving Day.Thus far, there have been 1,480 flight delays and 56 cancellations involving international flights to and from the U.S. and domestic flights within the country. Flight Tracker also reported 10 cancellations for Friday and three for Saturday as it relates to the U.S. flights.According to the American Automobile Association, close to 80 million Americans were traveling from the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to the Monday after. This is a new record in both road and sky travel (a 1.9% and a 2.1% increase respectively, compared with last year).Busier holiday traffic highways will include Interstate 17 and State Route 87 north of the Phoenix area as well as Interstate 10 between the Tucson or Phoenix areas and California. ADOT recommended getting an early start on Sunday as traffic would get heavier in the afternoon. Below is one closure to keep in mind.Pinetop-LakesideAll lanes on State Route 473 southbound near CR-620 (MP 369) are closed until May 1, 2025.How to avoid big crowds:These are the best times to shop on Black Friday …
