The brutal winter storms that have dumped the most snow in years on Texas crippled all air traffic throughout the South Central United States for the past few days, and then moved east to impact the Midwest and East Coast. Millions in Texas remain without power in bitter-cold conditions.
Houston was hit hard, with George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) and Houston Hobby (HOU) digging out after being shut down until around noon today (Tuesday). Other airports throughout the state experienced crippling delays. According to the FAA on Monday, San Antonio (SAT) and Austin-Bergstrom (AUS) canceled all flights for the day. In Louisiana, Lafayette Regional Airport (LFT) and Baton Rouge Metropolitan (BTR) also closed due to weather yesterday.
As airports reopen, the airlines must start playing catch-up, as passengers from canceled flights are re-ticketed and the domino effect touches those with reservations for flights brimming with stranded travelers.
Meanwhile, another storm is building in the Rockies, expected to track over the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley. The new line of weather threatens a repeat later this week of the pattern experienced over the past few days. Sub-freezing temperatures and snow in freezing rain are expected to prevail over a wide area over the next 24 to 48 hours. The storm itself is marching to the Northeast.
