Record-breaking snowfall across all 50 states wreaked havoc on holiday travel plans this past Thursday. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the nation’s third busiest and ninth most weather-delayed airport, saw over 1,500 flights either canceled or delayed. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was forced to issue ground stops as thunderstorms swept through, causing flight backups of 90 minutes or more throughout the day.
In addition to the chaos at Dallas-Fort Worth, Dallas Love Field also experienced significant disruptions, with departure delays exceeding one hour. “Rain started Thursday morning in Dallas as a system moved through the region bringing strong winds and prompting a flash flood warning due to heavy rain,” reported weather.com digital meteorologist Sara Tonks on Thursday afternoon.
Further south, Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport faced its own set of challenges, with over 600 flights delayed or canceled. This series of travel woes wasn’t isolated to just one day, particularly at Dallas-Fort Worth. Between Tuesday and Wednesday, more than 1,500 flights to or from the airport were affected, making it the airport with the highest number of cancellations or delays in the U.S. during that period, according to online tracker FlightAware.
These disruptions unfolded amidst soaring holiday projections for Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, anticipating a record-breaking 4.7 million passengers between December 20 and January 7, marking a 2.4% increase from the previous year.
As the weather continued to impact travel plans, weather.com staff writer Jan Childs diligently covered the unfolding events, focusing on breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment, and more.
