The holiday weekend, which could stretch out to four days for those lucky enough to have Monday off, is expected to come with record-breaking travel numbers, unsettled weather and plenty of extra police on the state’s highways.

The July 4 weekend is expected to set new U.S. travel records this year with an estimated 50.7 million people ― 2.1 million more than last year ― set to travel 50 miles or more between Friday and Tuesday, according to AAA.

Of those travelers, 85%, or 43.2 million, plan to drive to their getaway destinations, a 2.4% jump from 2022, the auto club said. The number of vehicles on the nation’s highways are expected to surpass a prepandemic record of 49 million set in 2019.

Traffic spike coming Friday

In Connecticut, 664,000 residents are expected to take to the roads, skies and water during the next few days, with 580,000 ― another record-breaking number ― planning to travel by car, said Tracy Noble, spokesperson for AAA in Greater Hartford.

“But the biggest travel increases we’re predicting in Connecticut will come from those traveling by air, with 50,700 flying to their holiday destinations, along those using buses, train, cruises or a combination of those,” she said, attributing the number jumps to residents resuming travel habits put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highway congestion in the state was expected to increase late Thursday and spike between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday, with a jump in return traffic predicted for Tuesday and Wednesday, Noble said.

“Early birds and night owl travelers will have it better,” she said.

The good news? Gas prices are significantly lower compared to last year with a gallon of regular unleaded costing an average of $3.63 in Connecticut, down from the $4.84 state residents were paying at the pump a year ago.

Police plan for more drivers

Travelers won’t be the only ones on the state highways this weekend. State police plan to deploy extra troopers in marked, unmarked and “non-traditional” vehicles for the length of the holiday weekend, according to a news release.

Supplemental roving patrols aimed at identifying impaired drivers will also be activated. The holiday patrols will run daily from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. through Wednesday.

Last year, troopers responded to 6,463 calls for service from July 1 to 4, including 299 accidents, two that resulted in fatalities.

Big crowds expected in eastern Connecticut

For those sticking close to home, there’s no shortage of local events on tap through Independence Day.

Norwich’s popular Downtown After Dark music and arts event will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday and end at 1 a.m. on Saturday, just hours before the Rose Arts Festival is set to welcome visitors to Chelsea Parade. Fireworks will pop over Norwich Harbor on Sunday night.

In addition to weekend parades scheduled in Old Lyme, Groton and other towns, the Mystic Seaport Museum will host an Independence Day celebration on Saturday. Outdoor craft shows are scheduled in East Lyme and Niantic over the weekend.

Local experts are banking on large crowds descending on eastern Connecticut this weekend with their tourism dollars. Tony Sheridan, president and chief executive officer at the Chamber of Commerce Eastern Connecticut, said he’s predicting a significant number of visitors heading to local shops and restaurants.

“Honestly, things are looking good in the New London, Norwich and Mystic region right now and that’s something we haven’t always been able to say,” he said. “It’s been a slow recovery for the last couple of years after (the pandemic). Things were better last year, and I think this year is going to be very good for our small businesses. We’re back to a level of pre-COVID normal.”

Pleasant start, rain coming

The weather for the first part of the weekend will be largely agreeable with rain accompanied by possible thunderstorms entering the region Saturday night, said Gary Lessor, chief meteorologist at Western Connecticut State University.

Temperatures will stay mild ― 75 to 80 degrees on the shoreline and slightly higher in the Norwich area ― through Tuesday. Partly to mostly sunny skies are on tap for Friday with a late-day shower possible on Saturday, Lessor said.

The rain will stick around Sunday and Monday with cloudy skies and a risk of showers expected Tuesday.

“All in all, keep an umbrella handy,” Lessor said.

j.penney@theday.com

Editor’s note: This version corrects the day of the Norwich fireworks.