Thanksgiving
mess: Airlines cancel hundreds of flights as storm rips through
Northeast
RT,
26
November, 2014
Airlines
in the United States have cancelled nearly 300 flights thus far
Wednesday given rain and snow along the East Coast and Appalachians.
The heaviest snow through the day is expected just west of the I-95
corridor between Philadelphia and Boston
Holiday
travelers will have to deal with a storm consisting of rain, at times
heavy snow, fog, and poor visibility on Thanksgiving Eve,
traditionally one of the busiest days for airlines and highways
across the US. The regions of New England, the mid-Atlantic, and
Appalachia are expected to see the worst winter weather.
Ahead
of Wednesday’s precipitation, which is expected to continue into
the night, many airlines announced they will waive fees for passenger
choosing to switch or change flights to avoid the storm.
United,
American, and Delta airlines waived flight-change fees at about two
dozen northeastern airports, offering travelers the chance to switch
flights to Tuesday or Thursday to ease Thanksgiving Eve congestion.
As
of about 8:00 ET this morning, airlines had cancelled 271 flights due
to winter weather, Bloomberg reported. Terminated flights are only
part of air-travel headaches on Wednesday, as delays will also add to
the mix.
“Ground
stops for flights destined for Philadelphia, Newark and [New York] La
Guardia International Airports already in effect due to
weather,” AccuWeather reported just
before 10 a.m. ET. “Flights
destined for La Guardia are facing delays of more than three hours on
average.”
Early
rain Wednesday will change to snow from northern Virginia to New
England as the day progresses, according to weather reports. The
interior of New England is bracing for 6 to 12 inches of snow before
the storm is over, though the heaviest snowfall is predicted for
north and west of Interstate 95 from Philadelphia to Boston.
"In
most cases, the worst time to travel in the mid-Atlantic and New
England due to the storm will be on Wednesday and Wednesday
night,” said AccuWeather
Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams.
In
the Appalachians, there have been reports of as many as 4 inches of
snow thus far in North Carolina and 8 inches in West
Virginia, according to
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
2:57 AM - 27 Nov 2014 North Carolina, US, United States
Meanwhile,
a less severe snowstorm will brush through the Plains and the
Midwest, from the Dakotas to the Tennessee Valley, as Wednesday
progresses. Some flights out of St. Louis and highway travel on major
interstates such as I-70, I-35, and I-29 will likely be delayed as
the snow works its way east.
The
number of air passengers in the US is expected to hit a high level
unseen since 2007, with as many as 3.55 million, a 3 percent jump
from last year, according to AAA.
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