Severe weather is wreaking havoc on flight schedules across the southern and western U.S. during one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, leading to a wave of delays and cancellations as folks return home after the holidays.
By 1 p.m. ET on Friday, over 3,500 flights had been delayed and 96 canceled for trips within, into, or out of the U.S., according to FlightAware. Just a day earlier, Thursday saw a staggering 8,832 delays and 791 cancellations due in part to strong storms that even spawned tornadoes in Texas and Louisiana.
While things might not be as severe in the southern U.S. compared to Thursday, forecasters are warning that hail, heavy rain, and more tornadoes could ramp up again on Saturday.
National Weather Service meteorologist Evan Bentley expressed concern about potential storms with serious weather threats developing in that area this weekend. He emphasized that with holiday travel peaking right now, it’s crucial for anyone traveling through those regions to stay informed about what’s happening with the weather.
Louisiana and Alabama are expected to face the highest risk for severe weather on Saturday. According to a Friday update from the NWS’s Weather Prediction Center, we can expect an increasingly wet pattern moving from the Lower Mississippi Valley northeastward into places like Tennessee Valley, Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic region, and Northeast.
Meanwhile, over in the Pacific Northwest—states like Washington, Oregon, and California—storms will keep hitting hard with heavy rain at lower elevations and significant snowfall at higher ones.
The National Weather Service is alerting folks in the lower areas of Oregon and Washington about possible flooding, while also issuing winter storm warnings for certain mountainous spots in California, Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
Some places might see snowfall ranging from 6 to 18 inches, and winds could get pretty wild with gusts exceeding 70 mph.
Travel season
We’re looking at some possible travel delays at airports just as we head into what’s shaping up to be the busiest holiday travel season ever in the U.S.
The Transportation Security Administration shared on social media that they anticipate screening close to 40 million travelers between December 19 and January 2, which is a 6.2% increase from last year. They also noted that Friday and Monday will be among the three busiest days for travel.
But here’s a fun fact: most holiday trips won’t actually be taken in the air; instead, a whopping 90% of Americans will hit the road this season, according to AAA. Luckily, for the next few days, it looks like most of us won’t have to deal with more snow and ice on our highways thanks to some warmer temperatures!