Spring break is next week for many schools across New York. It's quite a change from last year when it was the last week of March. It was so early it kept many families from going on vacation. Brian Dwyer looks at how those dates are set, and why travel experts say this year we'll see roadways headed south full of New York plates.
WATERTOWN, N.Y. -- Upstate New York winters can be brutal. But during them, the one thing families can look forward to is heading south for spring break.
But last year record cold temperatures were met with a spring break week in late March. For many, the 50s or maybe 60s of Virginia or Myrtle Beach just wasn't worth it.
"It depends because some people may like a little bit cooler weather you know what I mean? But most people that live in the North Country, by this point they want warmth," AAA travel manager Barbara Park said.
That's the difference a month can make.
By the time the school bell rings on Friday and spring break 2016 begins, it will be 80 degrees in many of those popular spots. Combine that with gas prices that AAA says are the lowest they've been in 12 years, and major roadways headed south will be packed.
"I think that that's what really has helped people to determine 'okay, you know what, I can afford to go away. I can afford to take my family and drive somewhere,'" Park said.
So why does spring break have such a wide range of dates from year to year?
For many areas it all has to do with those New York state tests. The state education department sets the dates for those and schools schedule spring break around them.
"We try to give students and teachers a chance to kind of prep up the kids. There's a break between the ELA (English, Language, Arts) and the math test, so we're trying to be as proactive as we can to make sure the teachers and the kids can deal wtih the stress," Watertown CSD Superintendent Terry Fralick said.
As for what works out better, that remains to be seen and may depend on who you ask. After all, this is the latest spring break many can remember.
"I think after this itteration, we'll be able to go back and compare the last four or five years and maybe I can give you a better answer. I don't think right now, I'll know after the spring break," Fralick said.
Although travelers and families won't mind that extra wait to get some extra warmth.
AAA says so far this year drivers have saved $12,000,000,000 on gas compared to last year. Because of that savings, it's expected that more than half of Americans will take some sort of extended road trip.