Community Corner

What You Need to Know Before Hitting the Road for Christmas 2012 Travel: Forecast, Fuel Prices and More

Now that Draco's behind us, stable weather returns to the area.

Good news: After Draco, weather over the next few days in West Des Moines should be relatively stable.

Still, check out the Iowa Department of Transportation's web site before leaving to get the latest travel conditions.

And pack an emergency kit. Some items you may want to include are water; non-perishable food like granola bars and trail mix; blankets; a cellular phone charger that plugs into your vehicle's cigarette lighter or USB port; flashlight and extra batteries; a shovel; matches and small candles, extra hats, coats and mittens; road salt, sand or cat litter for traction; booster cables; emergency flares or reflectors;

Find out what's happening in West Des Moineswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Here’s the long-range forecast:
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 29; wind chill values as low as zero; south wind 3-8 mph. Saturday night: Mostly clear with a low around 7. Calm wind becoming north northwest by 5-7 mph after midnight.
Sunday: Mostly sunny with a high near 23, north northwest wind 5-8 mph. Sunday night, mostly cloudy with a low round 16.
Christmas Eve:  Mostly cloudy, with a high near 24; mostly cloudy Christmas Eve night, with a low around 12.
Christmas Day: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 20; mostly cloudy Christmas night, with a low around 9.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 16. Partly cloudy with a low around 3.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 16.

Nationally, blizzard and winter storm warnings remain in effect through Saturday for the Great Lakes and central Appalachians, where heavy snow will combine with strong winds to produce dangerous travel conditions. Meanwhile, low temperatures Friday night will drop into the single digits or slightly below zero for the north central U.S.

Gas prices are creeping upward at most metro locations, according to GassBuddy.com. On Friday, some gas for $3.10 per gallon was available, but a couple of places had raised prices to $3.22 or even $3.27.

According to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report Friday afternoon, the Iowa average for a gallon of regular fuel was $3.12 ($3.04 for mid-grade and $3.28 for premium).

Iowa gas prices are below the national average, which Friday were $3.23 for regular, $3.38 for mid-grade and $3.54 for premium.

As you leave Iowa and head into Illinois, you may want to fill up before leaving the Hawkeye state. If you’re heading to Missouri, though, you may want to wait. Here’s a list of surrounding states’ prices:

In Illinois, prices were $3.26 for regular fuel ($3.42 for mid-grade and $3.64 for premium).

In Missouri, expect to pay $2.97 for regular fuel ($3.08 for mid-grade and $3.24 for premium).

In Minnesota, expect to pay $3.09 for regular fuel ($3.15 for mid-grade and $3.33 for premium).

In Nebraska, expect to pay $3.21 for regular fuel ($3.12 for mid-grade and $3.38 for premium).

In South Dakota, expect to pay $3.20 for regular fuel ($3.12 for mid-grade and $3.40 for premium).

In Wisconsin, expect to pay $3.19 for regular fuel ($3.45 for mid-grade and $3.55 for premium).

Check other states’ gas prices.

Do you drive an E85 vehicle? Here’s a link to Iowa gas stations selling E85 ethanol fuel.

Traveling outside of Iowa? Here’s a guide to road conditions in other states.


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