A blast of cold wind is already slowing down air travel at DFW International Airport and Dallas Love Field ahead of more severe weather heading into North Texas over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend.
Those blustery conditions are mixing with snow and ice in the Midwest and thunderstorms in the South to create conditions that will likely make travel tricky for passengers traveling during the long weekend.
DFW International Airport saw 4% of its incoming and outgoing flights for Friday canceled (a total of 81) and almost half of its flights (1,00) delayed, according to Flightaware.com.
Love Field had 18 cancellations, also about 3% of flights, and 179 delays, around 21% of the total landing and departing flights.
Nationwide, there are more than 2,200 flight cancellations on flights, according to Flightaware.com.
“In Texas, DFW and Houston, we have very strong winds that are slowing down the airport operations,” FAA operations manager James Lofton said in a video shared on social media. “On Monday, there will be a line of thunderstorms from DFW to Virginia that could produce some snow.”
But passengers hoping to connect to some of the key airports for Fort Worth-based American Airlines and Dallas-based Southwest Airlines could see trouble.
“The big problem is Chicago,” said Tom Kines, senior meteorologist with Accuweather. “There will be major issues there today [Friday], tonight and even through the weekend.”
A major American Airlines hub is at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, where snow and ice have canceled more than a third of all flights, more than in all, and delayed almost 600 more. American has its second-largest hub in Charlotte, which should see thunderstorms Friday.
American has issued travel advisories for the Midwest including Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and surrounding states. That allows customers to change travel arrangements with no fees.
Winter isn't coming, it's here! 🥶
— DFW Airport (@DFWAirport) January 12, 2024
A major cold front is expected to impact flights across the country today and throughout the weekend. Always check your flight status with your airline before heading to the airport for the latest updates!
✈️ https://t.co/1vmFbK6ieD pic.twitter.com/6et4VYbV45
For Southwest, one of its busiest airports is at Chicago Midway, where about 60% of flights, 279 in all, have been canceled and another 59 delayed. Southwest could also face more slowdowns in Denver, where wind, snow and sub-zero temperatures are expected through the weekend.
Southwest has also issued travel advisories for the Midwest region.
It was problems in Denver and Chicago that brought holiday traffic to a halt at the end of 2022 and eventually led to a breakdown of Southwest Airlines’ flight network, costing the company more than $1.1 billion in repairs, lost revenue and other efforts to fix the problem. Company leaders have sworn that Southwest has made the necessary preparations in the event of another icy blast, but so far the meteorology has cooperated with airlines over this winter season.
And there will be little time to recover for airlines as the weekend continues. Texas is expecting single-digit temperatures on Sunday and Monday and there is a growing possibility of snow in the forecast, conditions rare in the region.
“At this point, it looks like it’s going to obstruct travel,” said Tom Kines, senior meteorologist with Accuweather. “Whether there is enough to take down power lines and tree limbs, that’s unclear right now.”
