Winter weather causing travel nightmare delays, multiple cancellations before Christmas

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The severe winter weather is causing a travel nightmare before Christmas. So, travelers headed to the airport should prepare for delays and cancellations.

The American Automobile Association reports that nearly 7.2 million Americans will fly during the holiday weekend, near pre-pandemic numbers.

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Locally, 140,000 people are expected to travel through George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Friday alone, and 40,000 are expected to go through William P. Hobby on the same day.

As of 6 p.m. on Friday, according to FlightAware, 23,763 delays in the U.S. and 8,207 cancellations have occurred. Houston has had a total of 401 delays and 84 cancellations at Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport. Out of Hobby Airport, there have been 186 delays and 40 cancellations.

Alex Overland and Kevin Holt are trying to return home for Christmas and had three canceled flights at Bush Airport.

"We knew the weather was going to be bad, so we changed our flight to make it earlier, than the early one got canceled," Overland said. "It got rescheduled for this afternoon, and as we are on the Uber over, it got canceled on the way here, so we aren't sure what to do."

They are just some of the ones now forced to scramble as thousands were expected to fly through Houston airports on Friday.

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"Woke up this morning, get out of bed, get our kids, and get a text saying our flight going to Nashville was (canceled) ," Daniel Johnson said.

Kim Altimari, trying to keep warm at the airport, is anxious to see her grandchildren, waiting hours at the terminal after her flight was delayed.

"It would be nice if I was already there," Altimari said. "I got another text that it's delayed until 6:04."

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