Thanksgiving is the biggest travel holiday of the year with 5.4 million Californians setting off on trips of at least 50 miles on what, for many, is a long, four-day  weekend.

The Bay Area can expect dry weather this afternoon through Sunday after an overnight storm, moving down from the North Coast, dropped a predicted half-inch of rain on the area.

Drivers headed to the Sierra Nevada mountains can check Caltrans’ website – quickmap.dot.ca.gov – for real-time updates on chain requirements and traffic, or can call 1-800-427-7623.

Motorists will be paying about the same for gas as during last year’s Thanksgiving holiday period. Although still high, prices have fallen 71 cents a gallon in the East Bay from their record high posted just six weeks ago.

In Castro Valley, regular was selling for around $3.74 a gallon, with some stations as low as $3.60 yesterday.

As is true for all holiday periods, local police, sheriff’s patrols and the California Highway Patrol will be on the lookout for drunk drivers.