Bad Weather Could Wreak Havoc on Busiest Travel Day Sunday

[Matt Molnar]

Accuweather:

East, Midwest Weekend Storm (http://www.accuweather.com/news-top-headline.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&date=2008-11-29_18:54)

The merging of two storms will create a Sunday travel nightmare for much of the Atlantic Seaboard and parts of the Midwest.

The late-weekend storm could create problems for homebound travelers from their Thanksgiving Day destinations from Atlanta, Ga., to New York City, to Chicago, Ill. Delays may not only be limited to the ground, but may also develop and mushroom at the major airports.

Conditions will either be soggy or snowy on Sunday across much of the eastern portion of the nation. This will be the result of two systems, one from the Midwest and the other along the Atlantic Seaboard, slowly coming together. [Full Story (http://www.accuweather.com/news-top-headline.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&date=2008-11-29_18:54)]

[USAF Pilot 07]

Currently sitting here at the gate on my flight to SAT. A light rain/snow mix is falling, but our flight is still "on-time". Hopefully we can blast out of here before the bad stuff starts falling and the late-morning crush starts...

[Alessio]

Seem like the Endeavour are going to land in California not Florida.

[Matt Molnar]

JFK
Arrivals: 2 hours 32 mins | Reason: WIND

LGA
Arrivals: 2 hours 21 mins | Reason: LOW VSBY

EWR
Arrivals: 2 hours 29 mins | Reason: LOW CIGS

HPN
Arrivals: 3 hours 9 mins | Reason: LOW CIGS

TEB
Arrivals: 2 hours 42 mins | Reason: LOW CIGS

PHL
Arrivals: 2 hours | Reason: LOW CIGS

BOS
Arrivals: 1 hour 47 mins | Reason: LOW CIGS

ORD
Arrivals: 1 hour 37 mins | Reason: LOW VIS
Departures: 16 to 27 mins | Reason: VOL

YYZ
Arrivals: 27 mins | Reason: SNOW-ICE

ATL
Arrivals: 1 hour 25 mins | Reason: LOW CIGS

[Gerard]

LGA
Arrivals: 2 hours 21 mins | Reason: LOW VSBY

My sons 2:45 to Houston on Continental was only 6 minutes late departing so that was good. The highway is another story. The
traffic going westbound on the GCP from LGA was pretty much slow bumper to bumper. Glad I was going the other way and pretty
much breezed home.

[USAF Pilot 07]

Took off 45 minutes late today at EWR due to having to be de-iced. It was barely even snowing (more raining) and the ambient air temp was over 32 degrees, so I'm not really sure why we went and got deiced, but I guess better safe than sorry...

[Matt Molnar]

Update...it's getting worse. Chicago is expecting 6 inches of snow.

JFK
ATIS: 050 at 13 gusts 23, vis 6, light rain/mist, ceiling 900 overcast, low level wind shear advisory
Arrivals: 2 hours 32 mins | Reason: WIND
Departures: 16 to 20 mins | Reason: WIND

LGA
ATIS: 090 at 12 gusts 22, visibility 3, rain/mist, 900 scattered, ceiling 1200 overcast, braking action advisory
Arrivals: 2 hours 21 mins | Reason: LOW VSBY

EWR
ATIS: 060 at 11, visibility 3, light rain/mist, few clouds 800, ceiling 1100 broken, 1500 overcast, severe turbulence advisory
Arrivals: 3 hours 41 mins | Reason: LOW CIGS
Departures: 31 to 45 mins and increasing | Reason: VOL

HPN
Arrivals: 3 hours 9 mins | Reason: LOW CIGS

TEB
Arrivals: 2 hours 42 mins | Reason: LOW CIGS

PHL
Arrivals: 3 hours 19 mins + GROUND STOP until 7pm EST | Reason: LOW CIGS

BOS
Arrivals: 2 hours 10 mins | Reason: LOW CIGS

ORD
Arrivals: 3 hour 3 mins | Reason: LOW VIS
Departures: 15 to 29 mins and increasing | Reason: VOL

MDW
Arrivals: 17 mins | Reason: SNOW-ICE

YYZ
Arrivals: 27 mins | Reason: SNOW-ICE

ATL
Arrivals: 1 hour 34 mins | Reason: LOW CIGS
Departures: 16 to 30 mins and increasing | Reason: LOW CEILING/VISIBILITY

[moose135]

Took off 45 minutes late today at EWR due to having to be de-iced. It was barely even snowing (more raining) and the ambient air temp was over 32 degrees, so I'm not really sure why we went and got deiced, but I guess better safe than sorry...
May have been schmutz on the wings/fuselage if the plane was there overnight. I looked outside around 7am, and saw a light dusting of wet snow on the car and lawn. I promptly went back to bed!

[Matt Molnar]

A 757 just buzzed my house...LGA 4 go around, too close to the Dash 8 ahead of it.

[MarkLawrence]

I can imagine there are some very frustrated passengers, crews and ATC's out there! Bill - you working tonight? How is EWR??

[njgtr82]

I can imagine there are some very frustrated passengers, crews and ATC's out there! Bill - you working tonight? How is EWR??


Nope I'm home relaxing tonight Mark. I had a friend stuck in Indy tonight with a 4 hour delay call me for help though. The arrival rate at EWR is 30 per hour tonight, ouch.

[MarkLawrence]

Ouch - bet you are glad you aren't at work!!..LOL

[Gerard]

>I had a friend stuck in Indy tonight with a 4 hour delay call me for help though. <

Putting out my garbage a few minutes ago and met my buddy from across the street. His oldest son goes to the
University of Wisconsin and flew into Chicago early this morning but never got out by air. All flights to Madison
were cancelled or heavily delayed so he took a three hour bus ride instead.
My son made it to Houston with no problem and is getting ready to board an EMB 145 for his trip to Tucson.

[PhilDernerJr]

Was a mess at work tonight. Planes trying to come into JFK being held for hours at their departure airports, planes almost diverting left and right. Busy, but fun.

[Matt Molnar]

There was still a good line of arrivals on approach to 4 when I went to bed at 230am. Ceiling was down to 200ft. :shock:

[bonanzabucks]

It wasn't just the East coast. My flight to DEN was delayed because of a snowstorm there.

[LGA777]

Took off 45 minutes late today at EWR due to having to be de-iced. It was barely even snowing (more raining) and the ambient air temp was over 32 degrees, so I'm not really sure why we went and got deiced, but I guess better safe than sorry...

While probably the same at EWR at LGA Sunday morning we (US) ended up deicing around 20 aircraft in the 0730-0930 time frame and that was totally unexpected. Most of the precip was ice pellets mixed with snow. Ice pellets are much worse than snow or any other form of frozen precip as far as being restrictve in regards to air carrier operations.

I ended up working a looong double shift Sunday and by early evening the three major area airports had Ground Delay Programs causing delays in the 3 to 4 hour range. Around 2330 we where looking at flightaware.com and the map showing all the aircraft in the air bound for LGA was amazing. There where multiple flights just departing airports such as DEN, DFW, and IAH. When I left around midnight the airport was still expectiing over 100 arrivals. They don't call it "Black Sunday" for nothing !

LGA777