Flight Cancelations Piling up as Ice Storm Batters Texas

Passengers wait in line to check in for their flights at Southwest Airlines service desk a
AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura
Hannah Knudsen

Flight cancelations — particularly at Texas airports — are piling up as an ice storm batters portions of the south and mid-south, creating hazardous traveling conditions.

According to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC), the ice storm could result in ice accumulation over 0.25″ from West Texas to western Tennessee, although some areas could see ice accumulations of 0.75″.

“In addition to potentially hazardous travel conditions, this amount of ice will likely lead to tree damage and scattered power outages across the hardest-hit regions,” the WPC said in a Tuesday update, warning of half an inch of sleet spanning from West Texas to Arkansas.

In addition to affecting driving conditions, airports are beginning to see delays and cancellations. As of 11:10 a.m. Eastern, there were over 1,800 U.S.-related delayed flights and over 1,200 U.S.-related canceled flights, per data from Flight Aware. 

As of Monday morning, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport canceled 43 percent of its outgoing flights. Dallas Love Field also had canceled over one-third of its flights, 36 percent, and Austin Bergstrom International canceled 29 percent of its flights. That is well over 500 canceled flights between the three airports.

Nashville International has also canceled 13 percent of its flights. 

The Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, coming off mounting travel woes which hit a breaking point around the Christmas holiday, has canceled ten percent of its flights as of Tuesday morning. The day prior, it canceled 12 percent of flights.

On Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned travelers to expect delays due to the winter weather. 

“Travelers: Expect delays due to wintry weather across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri & Tennessee today through Thursday. Be sure to check your flight status with your airline. The FAA does not cancel flights,” the agency wrote:

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