Labor Day weekend: Weather forecast, best times to travel

NEW YORK CITY - Labor Day weekend is officially here, which means it's time to soak in the last days of summer!

But don't ruin a sunny holiday by leaving for your trip at the wrong time. Here's everything you need to know for Labor Day travel.

Best times to travel

What we know:

Some drivers are already on the road, with road trips expected to account for 85-90 percent of all trips for holiday weekends. 

So, when should you head out on your road trip this weekend? The earlier, the better! Peak traffic is expected from 1 to 8 p.m. Thursday and noon to 8 p.m. Friday. 

Here are the best times for the entire holiday weekend:

• Thursday before 1 p.m.
• Friday before noon
• Saturday between 6 and 10 a.m.
• Sunday before 11 a.m.
• Monday before noon

These are the worst:

• Thursday between 1 and 8 p.m.
• Friday between noon and 8 p.m.
• Saturday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
• Sunday between noon and 5 p.m.
• Monday between 1 and 4 p.m.

If you plan on flying, airports are expected to be the most crowded on Friday, with the number of travelers expected to reach nearly 3 million.

NYC traffic

What you can do:

If you're headed to the Hamptons, AAA says to avoid the Long Island Expressway around 2:45 p.m. on Friday. The trip could take more than 3 hours!

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has also suspended all non-emergency repair work on bridges and tunnels from Friday to Tuesday to help with all the traffic.

Headed south for a beach trip? Expect some major delays on the Garden State Parkway.

Labor Day weekend weather

Local perspective:

Sun is in the forecast for most of the Labor Day weekend, with a chance of spotty showers on Friday.

Temperatures will stay in the high 70s and low 80s - a perfect way to end the summer celebrations!