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DEL.ICIO.USIs the weather in other parts of the U.S. affecting your travel plans?
Snow, wind and ice in parts of the nation over the weekend stranded or delayed many holiday travelers. As airports, bus lines and rail service try to get back on track; more weather-related delays may be on the horizon.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I had originally thought of discussing some ideas for New Year’s getaways on the blog today, but changed my mind as I read more travel forecasts for this week. Bad weather throughout the country is leaving many Christmas travelers in need of a miracle to get to their destinations in time for the holiday.
Snow, ice and wind are certainly not unheard of during this travel week in any given year. But winter storms from Seattle to Boston have caused a log-jam nationwide, as cancellations in northern airports, bus terminals and train stations spawned delays in milder areas like Atlanta. It’s the old “ripple effect” in action. A quick recovery from weather-related delays and cancellations has been made more difficult this year because airlines had already cut back their flights.
Even as airlines begin to catch up on missed flights, the storm that wreaked havoc on travelers in the Pacific Northwest is still working its way east. So while Atlantans should be enjoying Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in nearly 60-degree weather, forecasters are predicting more delays and cancellations this week. (A quick check of Hartsfield-Jackson airport traffic right before posting already showed there were delays of about 3.5 hours for flights to Chicago.)
It’s times like these that I am glad that we’re not traveling over the next few days. Even when we have done the Christmas-week trek in the past, we have always traveled by car to avoid getting stuck sleeping on an airport floor.
Road warriors, however, are not immune from travel troubles (or worse) this week. Depending upon where you are going, you could run into snow, ice or freezing rain along the way. Before heading out, make sure you travel wisely - know the weather forecast for your destination and along your route; give yourself a little more time to get there; and pack extra blankets, flares and other emergency equipment (just in case) if you’re driving into a storm-affected area.
Have you or your family members been hit hard by the weather-related delays in airports, bus terminals or train stations? Where are you headed? How long was your delay? Are you worried about delays on your return trip? If you headed north by car, did you run into rough roads or heavy traffic due to the weather? Where? Did anyone just give up and stay home?
If you don’t want to talk about the weather or delays … or you just want to think of happier thoughts, feel free to discuss your New Year’s travel plans. Are you headed out of town? Or indulging in a staycation nearby?
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