Blustery snowstorms spanning the Midwest to the U.S. Northeast led to dozens of flight delays and cancellations that affected South Florida’s major airports by midday Sunday as fliers took to the skies in potentially record numbers.
As of 1 p.m. Sunday, there were 39 cancellations and 124 delays at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, five cancellations and 154 delays at Miami International Airport, and 37 delays and 22 cancellations at Palm Beach International Airport, according to the flight tracking service FlightAware.
“There are a significant number of delays, but it’s manageable,” Rebeca Krogman, Palm Beach International’s spokesperson, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Sunday morning. “Most of the impacts are weather-related, particularly from winter conditions affecting parts of the Midwest and other regions.”
Palm Beach International Airport is expecting between 25,000 and 35,000 passengers daily between now and Tuesday as holiday travelers return, which is “higher than normal for a major holiday weekend,” Krogman said.
PBIA’s parking lots filled to capacity on Thanksgiving Day, but all lots were open on Sunday morning, Krogman said, adding that travelers planning to depart Sunday should still arrive “at least two hours early” to allow enough time for parking, flight check-ins and security screenings.
“Above-normal activity” was forecast for Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport over the long Thanksgiving weekend. AAA also said in its forecast that the number of U.S. flyers planning to fly domestically over the long Thanksgiving weekend was expected to hit 6 million, up 2% from 2024.
“The best advice to anyone traveling during the holiday peak periods is to keep in contact with their airlines for updated flight status,” Arlene Satchell, spokesperson for Fort Lauderdale airport, said in an emailed statement Sunday.
A spokesperson at Miami International Airport could not be reached for comment.
FlightAware reported 4,658 flight delays and 576 cancellations nationally as of 1 p.m. Sunday, much of it attributable to bad weather in northern U.S. states.
National Weather Service forecasters warned of further airport delays and slowed traffic as snowfalls of an inch or more per hour fell across Montana to Ohio. Another storm is forecast to bring a wintry mix of rain and snow to New England and the Mid-Atlantic regions on Monday and Tuesday.
Winter storm warnings and advisories extended from Montana to Ohio, according to the National Weather Service. Storms dumped 8 inches of snow over northern Iowa on Saturday, with at least that much expected in Chicago, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan.
Utility crews were working to restore power Sunday morning as storms brought down power lines in the Great Lakes region and shut down at least one airport in Des Moines, Iowa.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Phillip Valys can be reached at pvalys@sunsentinel.com or X @philvalys
