Travelers with head start find less-than-best conditions

The mass exodus has begun.

Holiday-bound drivers on the Massachusetts Turnpike last night were delayed for hours between Boston and Sturbridge.

The 60-mile trip took some drivers more than two hours during the heart of rush hour, according to the Cambridge-based SmarTraveler traffic advisory service.

''It happens every year before Thanksgiving," said Pete Sutton, SmarTraveler operations supervisor. ''The weather sure isn't helping."

Blustery winds, slashing rain, and possibly a few inches of snow were expected to bedevil this week's Thanksgiving travel onslaught and stoke the headaches for Bay State drivers wading into already-hefty holiday traffic.

The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority issued a statement yesterday warning travelers that congestion will persist through today.

The authority recommended traveling before noon or after 8 p.m. to avoid lengthy delays.

The American Automobile Association predicted that 2.34 million travelers from the Northeast will drive to Thanksgiving destinations this week, with the majority crowding the highways today, when weather is expected to be clear.

Still, travel and weather forecasters urged caution.

Light rain that fell across much of New England yesterday could freeze on small patches of highway, especially in western parts of the state, according to the National Weather Service regional office in Taunton.

The freezing temperatures could be joined tonight and early tomorrow by up to 4 inches of snow in northwestern Massachusetts, and 1 to 3 inches of snowfall is possible from Worcester to as far east as Interstate 95, the weather service said.

Snowfall might delay last-minute travelers, but accumulation is not expected to be severe, meteorologists and travel specialists said.

''Unless the weather is just awful, people tend to still travel on Thanksgiving," said Art Kinsman, spokesman for AAA's southern New England office. ''Rain, high gas prices, whatever it is, you still see a lot of travel."

In order to avoid the rush, many motorists left for their destinations yesterday, Kinsman said.

State Police said more minor accidents than usual had been reported.

The weather ''may not be the primary cause, but it's definitely a factor," State Police Sergeant Scott Range said.

Near North Adams, portions of Route 2 were closed briefly yesterday afternoon because of slippery conditions and spinouts, state and local police said.

North Adams police said snow was beginning to accumulate elsewhere in the Berkshires, which the weather service said might provide a bleak preview of conditions in other parts of the state later this week.

To curb aggressive driving and enforce seat belt laws, State Police said, they have deployed more than 500 extra patrols statewide and plan to keep them on the roads through Sunday.

For travelers looking to avoid the highways, Amtrak officials said they are running extra trains in the region, but that reservations are required and space is running out.

Delays also were reported at Logan International Airport.

''My impression is that seats are hard to come by," Kinsman said. ''If you haven't booked a plane or train ticket already, good luck."

This week's rain might also cause minor flooding, according to the weather service, but nothing that is expected to cause damage or that would detour motorists. In Fitchburg, rain might fill the North Nashua River to within a foot of its banks, meteorologist Tracy McCormick said.

Several other rivers might also rise to within several feet of flood stage, she said, but emergency managers said they were not concerned. The rain and snow are expected to dissipate by this weekend, according to the weather service.

Homebound travelers can expect temperatures in the 30s and 40s, but no precipitation is forecasted.

Globe correspondent Emma Stickgold contributed to this report.