Motoring on for Memorial Day: Robust travel expected amid wet weather
Delsion Moto of Scranton saw some savings while pumping gas at Sheetz on Mount Pleasant Drive in the city Thursday afternoon.
Moto, who plans to spend Memorial Day weekend with family in Philadelphia, looks forward to the camaraderie and appreciates the lower price.
“I had the chance to go this year, but normally I don’t,” said Moto, 44. “It’s cheaper than what it was two years ago.”
While gas prices remain about 10 cents higher than the same time last year, customers have started to see some relief, said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.
“Prices have been gently declining across most of the country with Scranton no exception to that,” he said. “Prices peaked at about $3.82 a gallon from late April through about two weeks ago. The average price in Scranton is now about $3.77 a gallon and prices should continue to fall as we get into the summer driving season.”
According to GasBuddy’s 2024 Summer Travel Survey, 76% of Americans plan to take a road trip between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, up 18% from 2023. Additionally, nearly half of those drivers plan to drive five or more hours to reach their destination, per the survey.
“The survey, which goes back about a decade, found the number of Americans traveling is going to be the second highest we’ve ever recorded,” DeHaan said.
DeHaan feels drivers are eager to climb into their cars as inflation begins to slow.
“Last year, I think it was pretty nauseating for a lot of people to hit the road,” he said. “I think some people who didn’t travel last summer are feeling a little bit more optimistic that prices are slowing down.”
Joe Fasula, co-owner of Gerrity’s, which operates 10 supermarkets throughout Lackawanna, Luzerne and Northampton counties, noted the cost of many summer grilling staples is similar to last year.
“All in all, it’s pretty much a wash,” he said.
Specifically, a porterhouse or T-bone steak is $7.99 a pound this week – compared to $8.99 a pound last year. However, 80% ground beef is about 50 cents higher a pound at $3.99, Fasula said.
Fasula added one-pound packages of strawberries are cheaper this year at 2 for $5 – down from 2.99 last year and fresh chicken and drumsticks cost 99 cents per pound – down from $1.29 per pound last year.
Several other popular grilling items including Hatfield jumbo franks ($4.99) and Kingsford baby back ribs ($9.99) remain at the same price as last year, he said.
Fasula added holidays typically lead to a spike in sales.
“Every holiday is big in the grocery business but in the summer they’re very weather dependent,” he said. “Having great weather for Memorial Day or the Fourth of July can swing your business by 20% or more.”
While the prices for Memorial Day cookouts might look good, the weather could be a different story.
“It’s not looking like it’s going to be quiet,” said Joseph Bauer, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather. “There is going to be some active weather moving through.”
After a chance of thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening on Saturday with temperatures in the mid-80s, Bauer expects partly sunny skies with temperatures in the low-80s on Sunday before a storm system could wreak havoc on Monday.
“It could bring quite the drencher of a day with the potential for flooding downpours and strong thunderstorms,” he said. “The rain will likely pick up in the morning hours and will probably be the heaviest going into the afternoon. The end of the weekend is not looking too great.”
