Gusty winds that whistled through metro Atlanta early Friday were not affecting flights at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, but inclement weather elsewhere was causing long delays as the Christmas travel period shifted into high gear.
At 8 a.m. Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration reported delays averaging just over 3 hours for flights headed from Atlanta to Newark International Airport, while delays to New York’s LaGuardia Airport were running nearly 3 hours and delays of over 2 hours were reported for flights to Philadelphia.
Flights to Midwestern cities affected by heavy snow on Thursday were mostly running on time early Friday, according to the Hartsfield-Jackson website.
The airport’s website reported wait times of 10 to 20 minutes at the security checkpoints at 8 a.m. Friday, with spaces still available in all parking lots.
Holiday travelers leaving town on the highways are getting a Christmas gift from the state Department of Transportation, which has suspended interstate roadwork statewide beginning at 5 p.m. Friday and continuing through midnight on Jan. 1.
The weather across metro Atlanta will be dry over the weekend, but there’s a chance of rain moving back into the area on Monday and Tuesday, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Karen Minton.
And for those hoping for a white Christmas, keep dreaming. Minton says high temperatures be around 60 degrees for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with overnight lows only falling into the mid-40s.