Nightmare for travelers: due to bad weather, airlines cancel flights, strong winds rage in New York
'20.12.2022'
Nadezhda Verbitskaya
A number of airlines have already waived booking change fees ahead of a massive storm expected later in the week. It will hit the entire country in a mixture of rain and snow, penetrating the New York area with biting rain and heavy winds. And the air temperature will drop to a dangerous cold, according to NBC New York.
Tuesday and Wednesday will be cool and dry. Showers will come Thursday afternoon and continue into Friday. In addition to showers, wind gusts up to 60 miles (97 km) per hour are possible. This combination can lead to power outages and travel difficulties. Snow may fall in the northern and western parts of the city.
Then the real horror begins
A sharp and potentially dangerous drop in temperature is expected on the afternoon of December 23. For example, at 15:00 on Friday it will be around +10 degrees Celsius in the city. And in three or four hours the temperature will drop below zero. Any wet surfaces, including roads, can quickly turn to ice by the time many hit the roads on Christmas Eve.
Such a drop in temperature can bring snow to the city, but not too much.
On the subject: Snowy Christmas: what will the weather be like in New York this holiday weekend
Drivers and pedestrians are advised to exercise extra caution. During the holiday weekend, roads and sidewalks will be as slippery as a skating rink. While the wet weather will dissipate by Saturday, commuting in the early afternoon can be treacherous.
Airlines are preparing for possible weather disasters
United Airlines has issued an alert for the East Coast.
Those who are due to travel between December 22 and 25 will not be charged for change or fare difference on United Airlines flights if the ticket was purchased before December 18. The rebooking window is valid from 22 to 28 December.
American Airlines also issued a warning to travelers. And JetBlue said that due to significant snowfall in the Midwest, it will not charge fees for flight changes and cancellations for travelers to or from Chicago, Kansas City, Milwaukee and Minneapolis/Saint Paul.
Conditions may vary depending on the weather and the airline, so travelers are advised to check with their carriers for details.
holiday confusion
Anyone planning to fly out of the tri-state (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut) ahead of the holidays should expect airport delays starting Thursday evening. And it might be worth seeing if it's possible to fly out before then. Not only wind and rain will create problems, but also snowfalls in the Midwest. Even if you are heading to another part of the country, the weather will have a domino effect on all flights. So be sure to keep an eye on your carrier to find out how the weather will affect your flight.
It will be cold before Christmas and after it. But it is likely that by the end of the year the air temperature will again rise above zero. And on December 29, according to the long-term forecast, the air temperature in New York will reach +4 degrees Celsius.
