Uncertainty in Weather: A Christmas Nightmare
Christmas is around the corner and all Americans are ecstatic to celebrate, however their plans may be halted due to one of the coldest expected weekends in decades. According to the National Weather Service, the storm is expected to be so encompassing that around 190 million people are under winter weather advisory.
Throughout the year there were concerns about inflation and illness and during this holiday season, those concerns were not enough to stop the American population from booking flights and driving towards their holiday destinations. A factor which may cause them to stop is the possibility of a massive winter storm night. The weather forecast has predicted powerful winds, ice, flooding, and heavy snow for three days, Thursday to Saturday. These weather conditions are expected to take place from the Plains and Midwest to the East Coast.
During these conditions, safety is an utmost priority. As a result, 145 flights in and out of Denver International Airport were canceled on Wednesday as the city was hit with freezing temperatures, gusty winds and snow. On Thursday, 219 flights are expected to be canceled due to the unexpected weather conditions. Southwest Airlines have canceled about 500 flights from the 4000 scheduled on both Thursday and Friday. According to the company, they want to maintain safe operations for the crew and their passengers. These canceled flights may very well be the beginning of a Christmas nightmare for those who were looking forward to them. On Thursday, 219 flights are expected to be canceled due to the unexpected weather conditions.
Additionally, FlightAware also expects at least 364 flights to be canceled on Thursday at O’Hare and Midway airports located in Chicago. A few days earlier this week, these airports stated that they had 350 pieces of snow-removal equipment and 400,000 gallons of pavement deicing fluid for the expected winter storm. Other airlines like United, Frontier, Alaska, Delta, American and Southwest were offering travelers the option of selecting new flights to avoid the bad weather conditions. The uncertain weather disrupted what was supposed to be a busy travel season as along with flights, bus and train travelers are also expecting cancellations and delays. Greyhound canceled bus service on about 25 routes for Wednesday and Thursday, which included service from Las Vegas to Denver, Memphis and Nashville, Denver to St. Louis, and Chicago to Minneapolis.
Due to the threat of potential power outages, the authorities across the state are worried and have warned the people to take special precautions to protect not only themselves but also the homeless, elderly and livestock. Additionally, they have also been advised to postpone any and all sorts of travel. However, the urge to travel and visit friends and families during the holidays has seemed to outweigh the health concerns as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated that coronavirus cases and deaths have increased in the recent weeks. Additionally, the trio of seasonal flu, respiratory syncytial virus and COVID-19 continue to pressure the healthcare system and put countless under the risk of illness.
