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Midwestindy
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Winter Holiday 2022 Weather Impacts

Mon Dec 19, 2022 9:03 pm

Winter Storm watches are out for ORD/MDW and MKE areas; could be a massive disruption to the busy holiday travel season:

"Blizzard conditions possible. Winds could gust as high as 55 mph."

"Falling and blowing snow may result in white out conditions with zero visibility at times, making travel extremely difficult, if not impossible. Power outages will also be possible as a result of strong damaging wind gusts to 55 mph."
https://weather.com/weather/alerts/loca ... T&etn=0006

Southwest has already issued travel waivers, more will and some have likely already followed

https://www.southwest.com/html/advisori ... 91977.html
Last edited by atcsundevil on Sun Dec 25, 2022 4:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Title broadened
 
BoeingG
Posts: 218
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Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

Mon Dec 19, 2022 11:01 pm

None of these stations are strangers to snow. I don't understand these waivers; they seem premature, especially given the volatility of the latest forecasts.
 
Cubsrule
Posts: 15966
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Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

Mon Dec 19, 2022 11:06 pm

    BoeingG wrote:
    None of these stations are strangers to snow. I don't understand these waivers; they seem premature, especially given the volatility of the latest forecasts.


    The forecasts have been pretty consistent about the wind, and very high northwest or north winds will mess up ORD severely.
     
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    Midwestindy
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    Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

    Tue Dec 20, 2022 3:54 am

    https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/wint ... index.html

    Delta/Spirit look to be the only ones without travel waivers as of this moment.
     
    TW870
    Posts: 1595
    Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:01 am

    Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

    Tue Dec 20, 2022 4:34 am

    Cubsrule wrote:
      BoeingG wrote:
      None of these stations are strangers to snow. I don't understand these waivers; they seem premature, especially given the volatility of the latest forecasts.


      The forecasts have been pretty consistent about the wind, and very high northwest or north winds will mess up ORD severely.


      Part of the issue is that with so many airports impacted and a very unstable forecast situation, it is difficult to know how to respond even if you have a waiver. I have family on BDL-MSP on Thursday, it looks now as if the worst precip is going to be Wednesday at MSP, so thus we are figuring they should stay on their original flight. But depending on storm track all 3 peak travel days could be impacted. Basically everywhere north of the Ohio River and between Sioux Falls and Boston could end up being hit pretty hard some time between Tuesday night and Friday.

      Hang in there to all the flight crew out there! I remember those days of snow plus holidays!
       
      evank516
      Posts: 2522
      Joined: Wed Mar 01, 2017 12:15 am

      Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

      Tue Dec 20, 2022 4:41 am

      I’m supposed to fly MCI-JFK on B6 on Thursday. They just emailed me about the weather but I’m not sure if I should act yet.
       
      FlyingElvii
      Posts: 2505
      Joined: Wed Dec 27, 2017 10:53 pm

      Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

      Tue Dec 20, 2022 4:44 am

      Cubsrule wrote:
        BoeingG wrote:
        None of these stations are strangers to snow. I don't understand these waivers; they seem premature, especially given the volatility of the latest forecasts.


        The forecasts have been pretty consistent about the wind, and very high northwest or north winds will mess up ORD severely.

        50kt+/55-60 mph winds with blowing snow across the upper and central Midwest. That is called a “Blizzard”. Even if you can land in it, will there be any ground staff able to get in for servicing it? Do you have any idea how fast a six foot drift can form with just a few inches of snow in those kind of winds?

        I am scheduled to travel right during the worst expected period of it on Friday to an airport well known to be a winter storm mess, just waiting for United to issue the alert so that I can cancel. Already getting the Suburban ready for a “Fun” drive to the ol’ hometown instead. The presents for the grandkids must get through, and they will.

        They say this will be the worst storm since the 90’s, and possibly 1978. We’ll see… That is a lot to live up to, for someone that actually went through them.
        Either way, as a former South Bend’r that moved south a couple of years ago, I am well versed in winter driving, and know all that back routes to stay away from the Interstates. That is where it will get wild.
         
        Cubsrule
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        Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

        Tue Dec 20, 2022 4:48 am

        FlyingElvii wrote:
        Cubsrule wrote:
          BoeingG wrote:
          None of these stations are strangers to snow. I don't understand these waivers; they seem premature, especially given the volatility of the latest forecasts.


          The forecasts have been pretty consistent about the wind, and very high northwest or north winds will mess up ORD severely.

          50kt+/55-60 mph winds with blowing snow across the upper and central Midwest. That is called a “Blizzard”. Even if you can land in it, will there be any ground staff able to get in for servicing it? Do you have any idea how fast a six foot drift can form with just a few inches of snow in those kind of winds?

          I am scheduled to travel right during the worst expected period of it on Friday to an airport well known to be a winter storm mess, just waiting for United to issue the alert so that I can cancel. Already getting the Suburban ready for a “Fun” drive to the ol’ hometown instead. The presents for the grandkids must get through, and they will.

          They say this will be the worst storm since the 90’s, and possibly 1978. We’ll see… That is a lot to live up to, for someone that actually went through them.
          Either way, as a former South Bend’r that moved south a couple of years ago, I am well versed in winter driving, and know all that back routes to stay away from the Interstates. That is where it will get wild.


          All correct. My point was simply that the winds can/will be pretty disruptive even without a lot of precipitation.
           
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          Spacepope
          Posts: 6095
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          Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

          Tue Dec 20, 2022 4:58 am

          Hey our forecast high on Thursday got bumped up to 3 degrees below zero. With 30mm winds, that’s pretty dangerous for ground crew.
           
          FlyingElvii
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          Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

          Tue Dec 20, 2022 5:39 am

          Cubsrule wrote:
          FlyingElvii wrote:
          Cubsrule wrote:

            The forecasts have been pretty consistent about the wind, and very high northwest or north winds will mess up ORD severely.

            50kt+/55-60 mph winds with blowing snow across the upper and central Midwest. That is called a “Blizzard”. Even if you can land in it, will there be any ground staff able to get in for servicing it? Do you have any idea how fast a six foot drift can form with just a few inches of snow in those kind of winds?

            I am scheduled to travel right during the worst expected period of it on Friday to an airport well known to be a winter storm mess, just waiting for United to issue the alert so that I can cancel. Already getting the Suburban ready for a “Fun” drive to the ol’ hometown instead. The presents for the grandkids must get through, and they will.

            They say this will be the worst storm since the 90’s, and possibly 1978. We’ll see… That is a lot to live up to, for someone that actually went through them.
            Either way, as a former South Bend’r that moved south a couple of years ago, I am well versed in winter driving, and know all that back routes to stay away from the Interstates. That is where it will get wild.


            All correct. My point was simply that the winds can/will be pretty disruptive even without a lot of precipitation.

            When it gets up that high, it gives a whole new meaning to "Sporty" landings.

            I can hear the voice of my long passed uncle, a Senior Captain at American. "MORE RIGHT RUDDER, Damn You!"
             
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            tjwgrr
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            Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

            Tue Dec 20, 2022 10:50 am

            Cubsrule wrote:
              BoeingG wrote:
              None of these stations are strangers to snow. I don't understand these waivers; they seem premature, especially given the volatility of the latest forecasts.


              The forecasts have been pretty consistent about the wind, and very high northwest or north winds will mess up ORD severely.


              RVRs down to nill, strong crosswinds, contaminated runways….. I’ve seen drifts begin to form on runways and taxiways minutes after they were cleared.
               
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              TWA772LR
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              Great US Freeze - Aviation Impact

              Wed Dec 21, 2022 12:32 am

              With a large portion of the US expecting below-freezing temperatures in the coming days, what will be the impacts on air travel especially considering this is the busiest time of year?

              I'm in Denver and the high this Thursday is -2F. My dad is flying out this Thursday and we are both wondering if flights will be disrupted. We aren't too worried about the planes themselves functioning (although that cold of a temperature issue to cause some mechanical malfunctions), but I am more particularly concerned about staffing because I know for damn sure I wouldn't want to be a ramper or line mechanic in that kind of weather. However, I still work in airline operations so I'm hoping it doesn't have too bad of an impact on my work!

              I'll be heading back home Christmas day (Sunday) so I'm not worried about the weather then, but knowing this industry everything could still be experiencing a hangover.

              Any word on airline ops in the US in the next couple days?
               
              Eolesen
              Posts: 101
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              Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

              Wed Dec 21, 2022 6:12 pm

              The update I saw last night downgraded the anticipated snowfall for ORD.

              It'll be cold, it'll be windy, but snowmageddon might be overstating things.

              Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk
               
              kiowa
              Posts: 1000
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              Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

              Wed Dec 21, 2022 7:15 pm

              Cubsrule wrote:
                BoeingG wrote:
                None of these stations are strangers to snow. I don't understand these waivers; they seem premature, especially given the volatility of the latest forecasts.


                The forecasts have been pretty consistent about the wind, and very high northwest or north winds will mess up ORD severely.


                We are flying out of ORD Friday morning and would not be surprised by a delay. I am very glad I am not flying out of Midway with their short runways though. Snow, wind, and short runways are not a good mix.
                 
                Cubsrule
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                Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                Wed Dec 21, 2022 7:19 pm

                kiowa wrote:
                Cubsrule wrote:
                  BoeingG wrote:
                  None of these stations are strangers to snow. I don't understand these waivers; they seem premature, especially given the volatility of the latest forecasts.


                  The forecasts have been pretty consistent about the wind, and very high northwest or north winds will mess up ORD severely.


                  We are flying out of ORD Friday morning and would not be surprised by a delay. I am very glad I am not flying out of Midway with their short runways though. Snow, wind, and short runways are not a good mix.


                  Not at all. MDW actually has a somewhat better runway configuration for wind but throw any precipitation in the mix and it goes downhill very quickly given the runway length.
                   
                  BoeingG
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Wed Dec 21, 2022 7:22 pm

                  Eolesen wrote:
                  The update I saw last night downgraded the anticipated snowfall for ORD.

                  It'll be cold, it'll be windy, but snowmageddon might be overstating things.

                  Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk


                  You're the first person I've encountered who has used that hyperbole.

                  What, exactly, do you think differentiates blizzards from other snow events? :roll:
                   
                  WorldFlier
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Wed Dec 21, 2022 7:32 pm

                  Spacepope wrote:
                  Hey our forecast high on Thursday got bumped up to 3 degrees below zero. With 30mm winds, that’s pretty dangerous for ground crew.


                  For them it was the coldest day of their lives, or as they call it in some parts of the world...Tuesday. It's -35 degrees and falling (bonus at that temperature it doesn't matter if its F or C).

                  https://ourairports.com/airports/ZBLA/weather.html
                   
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                  nbc7
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Wed Dec 21, 2022 7:40 pm

                  I am supposed to fly DL ORD-ATL-PBI on Friday morning (DL 2822 leaving at 9h35). I am going from one side of the family to the other so really don't want to leave the ones here in Illinois early, but also will feel bad if I get stuck and arrive in Florida late because it's my cousin's birthday on Friday. Haven't gotten an email yet from the airline but it seems extremely unlikely that planes will be flying then from what I'm hearing. Does anyone happen to have insides knowledge and/or tips ?
                   
                  Eolesen
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Wed Dec 21, 2022 7:40 pm

                  BoeingG wrote:
                  Eolesen wrote:
                  The update I saw last night downgraded the anticipated snowfall for ORD.

                  It'll be cold, it'll be windy, but snowmageddon might be overstating things.

                  Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk


                  You're the first person I've encountered who has used that hyperbole.

                  What, exactly, do you think differentiates blizzards from other snow events? :roll:
                  Blizzards are whiteout conditions. It doesn't sound like that's going to be the case.

                  This is an Arctic front with maybe 3" of snow expected for ORD. We used to call that Tuesday...



                  Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk
                   
                  ShamrockBoi330
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Wed Dec 21, 2022 7:41 pm

                  BoeingG wrote:
                  Eolesen wrote:
                  The update I saw last night downgraded the anticipated snowfall for ORD.

                  It'll be cold, it'll be windy, but snowmageddon might be overstating things.

                  Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk


                  You're the first person I've encountered who has used that hyperbole.

                  What, exactly, do you think differentiates blizzards from other snow events? :roll:


                  The last few "bomb cyclones" to hit Toronto, Ontario and Quebec have had these names, I've survived Snowmageddan, Snowpocolypse and Frankenstorm, although I'm sure someone is going to correct me and tell me they weren't bomb cyclones, but whatever!

                  And then to the comment upthread earlier, this isn't just bringing snow, snow these places can deal with! Better to get it out there an give people options than having planes stuck elsewhere and out of sequence!
                   
                  BoeingG
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Wed Dec 21, 2022 8:08 pm

                  Today's departure delays out of MSP are pathetic. There are more than enough de-icing bays to decontaminate several planes simultaneously. What's the excuse?
                   
                  Eolesen
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Wed Dec 21, 2022 9:04 pm

                  BoeingG wrote:
                  What, exactly, do you think differentiates blizzards from other snow events? :roll:


                  Don't care -- they all suck, but they're also mostly manageable at the mountain and midwest hubs.

                  2-3 inches of snow at EWR/JFK, IAD, or ATL would be a shutdown event. Not that big deal for the rest of us.
                   
                  Brick
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Wed Dec 21, 2022 11:38 pm

                  Big problem at the major airport in my town during extreme weather events is, the low wage below the wing staff decides to quit. Why sling bags in -15°F weather when you can flip burgers at a restaurant in the warm terminal for the same wage?

                  The result is, flights get cancelled because the airline's vendor cannot provide enough staff to operate flights. The passengers of course are told it is a "weather", thus they are out of luck. The reality is, a lot of low wage employees will quit rather than work outside in extreme cold. Same thing happens in the summer during heatwaves.
                   
                  BoeingG
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Thu Dec 22, 2022 2:18 am

                  Eolesen wrote:
                  BoeingG wrote:
                  Eolesen wrote:
                  The update I saw last night downgraded the anticipated snowfall for ORD.

                  It'll be cold, it'll be windy, but snowmageddon might be overstating things.

                  Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk


                  You're the first person I've encountered who has used that hyperbole.

                  What, exactly, do you think differentiates blizzards from other snow events? :roll:
                  Blizzards are whiteout conditions. It doesn't sound like that's going to be the case.

                  This is an Arctic front with maybe 3" of snow expected for ORD. We used to call that Tuesday...



                  Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk


                  Respectfully, you don't understand what a blizzard is. Blizzards aren't characterized by snowfall totals, but strong sustained winds and low visibility. Snowfall totals are irrelevant; if there's not enough snow, you can't have whiteout conditions to begin with.

                  You're correct that no blizzard warning has been issued for Chicago; however, "near-blizzard" conditions are forecasted. Are you contesting this? If so, why?

                  This is an Arctic front with maybe 3" of snow expected for ORD. We used to call that Tuesday...


                  :?:

                  This is a bizarre remark. ORD can handle 3" of snow. Couple that with high winds, and you have problems. Do not conflate near-blizzard conditions with a routine snow event.

                  Source: https://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwa ... %20warning
                  Last edited by BoeingG on Thu Dec 22, 2022 2:30 am, edited 2 times in total.
                   
                  BoeingG
                  Posts: 218
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Thu Dec 22, 2022 2:25 am

                  Eolesen wrote:
                  BoeingG wrote:
                  What, exactly, do you think differentiates blizzards from other snow events? :roll:


                  Don't care -- they all suck, but they're also mostly manageable at the mountain and midwest hubs.

                  2-3 inches of snow at EWR/JFK, IAD, or ATL would be a shutdown event. Not that big deal for the rest of us.


                  You don't care that the differentiator upends your argument?

                  You're straw-manning by ignoring a crucial characteristic of blizzards: wind. Near-blizzard conditions are problematic for any airport, for the aforementioned reasons. One would think that this is common sense...
                   
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                  Midwestindy
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                  Re: Great US Freeze - Aviation Impact

                  Thu Dec 22, 2022 2:32 am

                  TWA772LR wrote:
                  With a large portion of the US expecting below-freezing temperatures in the coming days, what will be the impacts on air travel especially considering this is the busiest time of year?

                  Any word on airline ops in the US in the next couple days?


                  One interesting thing to keep in mind in relation to the cold, is there could be delays from the southern airports, in regards to deicing.
                   
                  TW870
                  Posts: 1595
                  Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:01 am

                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Thu Dec 22, 2022 5:04 pm

                  BoeingG wrote:
                  Today's departure delays out of MSP are pathetic. There are more than enough de-icing bays to decontaminate several planes simultaneously. What's the excuse?


                  I actually think MSP did pretty well yesterday. The deice waits are a result of staffing I would guess, which continues to be a problem everywhere. But yesterday's operation was honestly better than any day in international at MSP last summer, where they just couldn't get airplanes towed into position, cleaned, or catered due to lack of staffing, and when long delays were the rule, not the exception. I agree that an airport where subzero temps and snow are normal should not be running hour delays for deicing, but I think the relative resiliency of the operation shows that things are at least trending in the right direction.
                   
                  ucdtim17
                  Posts: 690
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Thu Dec 22, 2022 5:43 pm

                  Currently -35 at BZN. Airport still operating somehow https://flightaware.com/live/airport/KBZN
                   
                  Cubsrule
                  Posts: 15966
                  Joined: Sat May 15, 2004 12:13 pm

                  Re: Great US Freeze - Aviation Impact

                  Thu Dec 22, 2022 5:53 pm

                  Midwestindy wrote:
                  TWA772LR wrote:
                  With a large portion of the US expecting below-freezing temperatures in the coming days, what will be the impacts on air travel especially considering this is the busiest time of year?

                  Any word on airline ops in the US in the next couple days?


                  One interesting thing to keep in mind in relation to the cold, is there could be delays from the southern airports, in regards to deicing.


                  It looks like a lot of the super cold temps will be in places with reasonable deicing capabilities (BNA, CLT, ATL, etc.) but I also think there will be some southern cities—I don’t know how many—where getting staff to the airport may be a problem for a while.
                   
                  izbtmnhd
                  Posts: 1118
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Thu Dec 22, 2022 8:18 pm

                  TW870 wrote:
                  BoeingG wrote:
                  Today's departure delays out of MSP are pathetic. There are more than enough de-icing bays to decontaminate several planes simultaneously. What's the excuse?


                  I actually think MSP did pretty well yesterday. The deice waits are a result of staffing I would guess, which continues to be a problem everywhere. But yesterday's operation was honestly better than any day in international at MSP last summer, where they just couldn't get airplanes towed into position, cleaned, or catered due to lack of staffing, and when long delays were the rule, not the exception. I agree that an airport where subzero temps and snow are normal should not be running hour delays for deicing, but I think the relative resiliency of the operation shows that things are at least trending in the right direction.


                  Average high at Minneapolis is 25F and the low is 10F for Dec. 20th. Subzero happens at MSP but isn’t “normal”.

                  Those aren’t robots turning aircraft outside. I’m sure the slower ops was more than just due to staffing.

                  Just because an airport can operate at -40F wind chills doesn’t mean it should.
                   
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                  exFWAOONW
                  Posts: 799
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Thu Dec 22, 2022 9:18 pm

                  WorldFlier wrote:
                  Spacepope wrote:
                  Hey our forecast high on Thursday got bumped up to 3 degrees below zero. With 30mm winds, that’s pretty dangerous for ground crew.


                  For them it was the coldest day of their lives, or as they call it in some parts of the world...Tuesday. It's -35 degrees and falling (bonus at that temperature it doesn't matter if its F or C).

                  https://ourairports.com/airports/ZBLA/weather.html

                  I thought -40 was the C/F cross-over point.
                   
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                  TWA772LR
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                  Re: Great US Freeze - Aviation Impact

                  Thu Dec 22, 2022 9:26 pm

                  Cubsrule wrote:
                  Midwestindy wrote:
                  TWA772LR wrote:
                  With a large portion of the US expecting below-freezing temperatures in the coming days, what will be the impacts on air travel especially considering this is the busiest time of year?

                  Any word on airline ops in the US in the next couple days?


                  One interesting thing to keep in mind in relation to the cold, is there could be delays from the southern airports, in regards to deicing.


                  It looks like a lot of the super cold temps will be in places with reasonable deicing capabilities (BNA, CLT, ATL, etc.) but I also think there will be some southern cities—I don’t know how many—where getting staff to the airport may be a problem for a while.

                  Driving home from work at 0200 in Denver last night, the snow was a powder sugar consistency. Staffing was my concern too, I wouldn't want to be a ramper or line mechanic in that cold. Now it's bright and sunny and still -6! Just for kicks, I boiled a pot of water and threw it to watch it instantly condense.
                   
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                  Spacepope
                  Posts: 6095
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Thu Dec 22, 2022 10:07 pm

                  exFWAOONW wrote:
                  WorldFlier wrote:
                  Spacepope wrote:
                  Hey our forecast high on Thursday got bumped up to 3 degrees below zero. With 30mm winds, that’s pretty dangerous for ground crew.


                  For them it was the coldest day of their lives, or as they call it in some parts of the world...Tuesday. It's -35 degrees and falling (bonus at that temperature it doesn't matter if its F or C).

                  https://ourairports.com/airports/ZBLA/weather.html

                  I thought -40 was the C/F cross-over point.


                  I think the sentiment is that at -35, no matter if C or F, it's pretty flipping cold.
                   
                  FlyingElvii
                  Posts: 2505
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Thu Dec 22, 2022 10:28 pm

                  2250+ xcls at 520pm est, half of those are Southwest and Skywest.
                  United seems to be putting most of the Chicago xcls on to Republic and Skywest, only 140 UA xcls so far.

                  I expect that tomorrow will be MUCH worse, as this moves in to the Northeast.
                   
                  SWALUV
                  Posts: 237
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Thu Dec 22, 2022 10:30 pm

                  The NE tomorrow is set to get rocked with winds that’ll create huge compression issues for all the NE hubs. A quick look at windy.com was showing a near 70 knot low level wind jet at 3,000 feet over BOS for most of the day. Couple that with 50 knot wind gusts and it’ll be a very sporty day.

                  Hang in there everyone, tomorrow is gonna be fun.
                   
                  FlyingElvii
                  Posts: 2505
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Thu Dec 22, 2022 10:30 pm

                  ucdtim17 wrote:
                  Currently -35 at BZN. Airport still operating somehow https://flightaware.com/live/airport/KBZN

                  BZN hit -43F below at 9am local.
                   
                  FlyingElvii
                  Posts: 2505
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Thu Dec 22, 2022 10:32 pm

                  Brick wrote:
                  Big problem at the major airport in my town during extreme weather events is, the low wage below the wing staff decides to quit. Why sling bags in -15°F weather when you can flip burgers at a restaurant in the warm terminal for the same wage?

                  The result is, flights get cancelled because the airline's vendor cannot provide enough staff to operate flights. The passengers of course are told it is a "weather", thus they are out of luck. The reality is, a lot of low wage employees will quit rather than work outside in extreme cold. Same thing happens in the summer during heatwaves.


                  Also, it is the end of the year. If you have "Use it or lose it" sick days, this weekend is a perfect time to use them.
                   
                  BowlingShoeDC9
                  Posts: 225
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Thu Dec 22, 2022 10:52 pm

                  I have to say, I’m sitting in DTW right now and I really expected it to be busy with people trying to get out/through before the storm hits. Today could be the last day of relatively normal operations here until Christmas.
                   
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                  nbc7
                  Posts: 31
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                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Thu Dec 22, 2022 11:49 pm

                  I am supposed to fly Delta out of ORD tomorrow morning and have received zero info from them regarding the storm or opportunity to change flights. It's pretty crazy how downhill this airline has gone since covid.
                   
                  TW870
                  Posts: 1595
                  Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:01 am

                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Fri Dec 23, 2022 12:09 am

                  nbc7 wrote:
                  I am supposed to fly Delta out of ORD tomorrow morning and have received zero info from them regarding the storm or opportunity to change flights. It's pretty crazy how downhill this airline has gone since covid.


                  Here you go!

                  https://www.delta.com/us/en/advisories/ ... er-weather

                  Part of the issue, though, is that there is not a clear path to rebooking for folks unless they want to skip Christmas altogether - which this waiver allows you to do. It is just going to be very windy with some blowing snow which ORD should be able to handle - unless they have high winds from the north, in which case the party is over and the whole operation is wrecked. I think most people as just leaving reservations as is and seeing how it goes.
                   
                  User avatar
                  QF7
                  Posts: 226
                  Joined: Fri Aug 16, 2019 11:42 pm

                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Fri Dec 23, 2022 12:43 am

                  Every year there is some version of this same story. Sometimes worse, sometimes not so bad, but it is a simple fact, known for thousands of years, that the weather can be bad in December.

                  Probably 40 years ago I had a terrible trip DCA-CLT-CHA on Christmas Eve or the night before. After that I told my family I would no longer be coming for Christmas (I also extended that to Thanksgiving). I said I’ll be happy to visit any other time of the year. And with one or two exceptions I’ve kept to that philosophy. Most family get-togethers have subsequently been in late spring or summer and are every bit as enjoyable and much less stressful.

                  Having said that I really do get the “I’ll be home for Christmas” sentiment and I know some families are more tradition-bound than others.

                  But imagine if say 25% of Christmas traffic would shift to other times of the year. Obviously airports that are truly socked in still would be but at least recovery would be faster and easier.

                  People get mad at the airlines but don’t stop to think that so many of themselves all trying to fly at they same time is just asking for problems.
                   
                  smokeybandit
                  Posts: 1792
                  Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2014 3:24 pm

                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Fri Dec 23, 2022 1:21 am

                  I've got bwi to mco tomorrow. Inbound flight is from mco so I hope I'm good.
                   
                  IFlyMGN
                  Posts: 41
                  Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2018 3:45 pm

                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Fri Dec 23, 2022 1:52 am

                  Ya know…if it’s not a matter of life and death, stay home until it passes. For my part, I can celebrate any time of the year so long as I’m not concerned about loved ones being stranded either at airports or on the road. It’s foolish to risk your safety and well being if it’s not necessary.
                   
                  User avatar
                  nbc7
                  Posts: 31
                  Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2022 4:38 am

                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Fri Dec 23, 2022 3:31 am

                  TW870 wrote:
                  nbc7 wrote:
                  I am supposed to fly Delta out of ORD tomorrow morning and have received zero info from them regarding the storm or opportunity to change flights. It's pretty crazy how downhill this airline has gone since covid.


                  Here you go!

                  https://www.delta.com/us/en/advisories/ ... er-weather

                  Part of the issue, though, is that there is not a clear path to rebooking for folks unless they want to skip Christmas altogether - which this waiver allows you to do. It is just going to be very windy with some blowing snow which ORD should be able to handle - unless they have high winds from the north, in which case the party is over and the whole operation is wrecked. I think most people as just leaving reservations as is and seeing how it goes.

                  Oh thank you, I hadn't even seen that one.

                  The page feels like they're intentionally being pretty vague though and they didn't send me any email about my trip specifically, when they used to always do that and make it as easy as possible to change..
                   
                  altairF28
                  Posts: 154
                  Joined: Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:41 pm

                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Fri Dec 23, 2022 4:14 am

                  TW870 wrote:
                  nbc7 wrote:
                  I am supposed to fly Delta out of ORD tomorrow morning and have received zero info from them regarding the storm or opportunity to change flights. It's pretty crazy how downhill this airline has gone since covid.


                  Here you go!

                  https://www.delta.com/us/en/advisories/ ... er-weather

                  Part of the issue, though, is that there is not a clear path to rebooking for folks unless they want to skip Christmas altogether - which this waiver allows you to do. It is just going to be very windy with some blowing snow which ORD should be able to handle - unless they have high winds from the north, in which case the party is over and the whole operation is wrecked. I think most people as just leaving reservations as is and seeing how it goes.

                  The problem with the bolded is that I think a lot of passengers who are specifically trying to visit relatives for Christmas will see no use in traveling next week unless they decide to celebrate New Year's with their relatives instead. These people are going to demand full refunds instead of rebookings and we may get some (likely ill-advised) legal action against the airlines if they don't offer said full refunds. Also, although I sincerely hope to be wrong about this, I'm afraid we might have to be on the lookout for passengers becoming physically abusive toward CSR's tomorrow when they find out it is impossible to get them where they want to go for the holidays.
                   
                  crownvic
                  Posts: 3153
                  Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2004 10:16 pm

                  UPS SDF Hub is starting to go down tonight!

                  Fri Dec 23, 2022 6:58 am

                  Winter Storm now hitting SDF. Lots of wide-bodies diverting to PIT.
                   
                  User avatar
                  nbc7
                  Posts: 31
                  Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2022 4:38 am

                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Fri Dec 23, 2022 7:01 am

                  altairF28 wrote:
                  TW870 wrote:
                  nbc7 wrote:
                  I am supposed to fly Delta out of ORD tomorrow morning and have received zero info from them regarding the storm or opportunity to change flights. It's pretty crazy how downhill this airline has gone since covid.


                  Here you go!

                  https://www.delta.com/us/en/advisories/ ... er-weather

                  Part of the issue, though, is that there is not a clear path to rebooking for folks unless they want to skip Christmas altogether - which this waiver allows you to do. It is just going to be very windy with some blowing snow which ORD should be able to handle - unless they have high winds from the north, in which case the party is over and the whole operation is wrecked. I think most people as just leaving reservations as is and seeing how it goes.

                  The problem with the bolded is that I think a lot of passengers who are specifically trying to visit relatives for Christmas will see no use in traveling next week unless they decide to celebrate New Year's with their relatives instead. These people are going to demand full refunds instead of rebookings and we may get some (likely ill-advised) legal action against the airlines if they don't offer said full refunds. Also, although I sincerely hope to be wrong about this, I'm afraid we might have to be on the lookout for passengers becoming physically abusive toward CSR's tomorrow when they find out it is impossible to get them where they want to go for the holidays.

                  And you've just answered my question as to why Delta has been zero help :thumbsdown:

                  Overall this storm seems to have been way overhyped though honestly. Chicago got about 3 inches and yes it's -20 but I just went out for a half hour walk (bundled up obviously) and was completely fine. Maybe the wind will make things worse tomorrow but it's hardly the snowmaggedon that they were saying.
                   
                  PSU.DTW.SCE
                  Posts: 9968
                  Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2002 11:45 am

                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Fri Dec 23, 2022 1:35 pm

                  DTW is running through it this morning. Operations are on the crosswind 27s.

                  DL pre canceled all regional flying on DCI carriers for the day but is running relatively fine on their mainline ops.

                  A lot of wind out where I am, not a lot of snow, and temps are still in the 20s. Not a day I would electively want to be gallivanting around town on the roads, but people have to get around appear to be doing so fine.

                  Not the apocalyptic hype they were calling for in metro Detroit
                   
                  BowlingShoeDC9
                  Posts: 225
                  Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:18 am

                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Fri Dec 23, 2022 1:54 pm

                  PSU.DTW.SCE wrote:
                  DTW is running through it this morning. Operations are on the crosswind 27s.

                  DL pre canceled all regional flying on DCI carriers for the day but is running relatively fine on their mainline ops.

                  A lot of wind out where I am, not a lot of snow, and temps are still in the 20s. Not a day I would electively want to be gallivanting around town on the roads, but people have to get around appear to be doing so fine.

                  Not the apocalyptic hype they were calling for in metro Detroit


                  Yeah I flew from DTW to Memphis last night. Left Detroit at a balmy 37 degrees. Got to Memphis at a frigid 10 degrees with a real feel of -7. Right now it’s 2 outside and feels like -16…

                  My girlfriend sent me a photo of her yard in Livonia. I think we might have about the same amount of snow in my parents yard down here.
                   
                  schernov
                  Posts: 146
                  Joined: Thu Aug 22, 2019 8:41 pm

                  Re: Pre-Christmas 2022 Midwest Snowstorm impacts

                  Fri Dec 23, 2022 2:08 pm

                  Dropped somebody off at ORD T5 this morning. Departures was peaceful.
                  Guess what - the bloody train is broken again. Guess those cars from Florida don't like snow.
                  T5 parking bridge now goes into nowhere due to construction of garage.

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