Labor Day travelers will find not only mild weather across the region this weekend, but also probably lighter traffic than last year.

AAA projects that nationwide about 6 million fewer people will travel this weekend than the 10-year high of 45.1 million, reached last year.

Robert Darbelnet, AAA's president and chief executive officer, said that's partly because the holiday falls a week later this year.

"Our forecast shows Labor Day travel will be up over this summer's Fourth of July holiday, and that's a positive sign," he said in a news release.

Only 37.1 million people traveled for July Fourth, AAA said.

Since then gas prices have fallen slightly. Thursday's Georgia average -- $2.43 -- was down 6 cents from Independence Day, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

Gas prices are similar throughout the Southeast, but people traveling to Florida or North Carolina should expect higher prices. Thursday's average price was $2.57 in Florida and $2.53 in North Carolina.

According to the National Weather Service, weekend high temperatures in Augusta should range from the high 80s to low 90s, with a 30 percent chance of rain Sunday and Monday.

Police will increase their presence on the roads.

Operation Zero Tolerance will be in full force for the holiday weekend, Jim Shuler, spokesman for the Georgia Office of Highway Safety, said. That means more patrol posts and sobriety checkpoints on the roads.

In Richmond County, 20 extra sheriff's deputies will be on patrol through Monday night.

They will focus on major roads, but that will not take away from deputies patrolling neighborhoods, Lt. Scott Gay said.

"We just want to keep everybody safe," he said.