Weather conditions prompt flight cancellations at South Florida airports

FORT LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - Both Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport have announced numerous flight delays and cancellations due to cold weather.

As of 10 a.m. Friday, FLL has cancelled 25 flights with 24 arrival and 12 departure delays.

“I mean, whatever. We’ll get a hotel, we’ll chill out. I’m not too worried. I don’t have to be back at work til Monday. I got lots of time,” said traveler Jennifer Young, who’s trying to get home to Buffalo.

Young is traveling with her two boys, who were excited about the snow waiting for them back home.

“Yeah, I like it. I don’t like when it’s too cold, though,” said Grayson Young.

“My mom’s like, ‘Just like stay safe and try to find a way to get a hotel, and if you have to come back, come back,’ but I’m just, I just don’t wanna be in here anymore, and I do not want to stay here longer, and I do not want a delay,” said Demetra Bernette, who is traveling to Boston.

The Howard University swim and dive team has been lucky so far. Their flight back to Washington D.C. could arrive to FLL as scheduled. “We’re hoping we’re going to make it. There are delays up and down the east coast, and the snow is still coming,” said coach Salim King.

King, like other travelers coming in from colder climates, said the weather in South Florida isn’t too bad. “Well, the coaches — we’re on deck in our clothes, so yes, we laugh. The swimmers are like, ‘Oh I’m freezing! I’m freezing!’ which is always a good time,” he said.

Traveler Martin Benson could be stuck at the airport for a while. He and his wife, Erica, have been trying to get back to New York. His wife is a teacher and needs to start school by Monday. “There’s no way to get there, really, before Sunday night,” said Benson, “so we’re trying to figure out do we want to rent a car and drive, but we don’t know what the road conditions are going to be like now.”

A group of pre-med students just spent a week in Haiti, volunteering at medical clinics. They were anxious ro get home to Boston, but now, it could be Saturday before they get out.

“I mean, if our flight gets cancelled, everyone else’s flight is cancelled, too,” said traveler Katherine Canally. “so we’re worried about hotels selling out.”

“With the winds in Boston, we’re worried that we might not get out tonight,” said traveler Emily Hainiha, “and then we know people that have already been cancelled on, and they’re not getting out until Saturday, so I’m pretty worried.”

Traveler Karen Bell said she noticed the cold front is making its way south. “It got cold in Cozumel,” said Bell. “You can tell the cold front is moving down.”

Bell’s flight was among those that were delayed. “We were delayed two hours on the runway waiting to be de-iced,” said Bell.

Another traveler, Ken Black, said the Florida Keys were also not exempt from the cold weather. “It was 40 down in Islamorada,” Black said. “Now I’m going to Detroit where it’s only five [degrees].”

Black added, “Don’t know what to say about it. It’s just this time of year, I guess.”

Meanwhile, Miami International Airport has had 25 arrivals and 7 departures cancelled.

“Our flight was canceled,” said a child at MIA, waiting to go home to see his mom. “Frustrating – I want to see my mom.”

“Trying to go to Boston. Luckily we have a place to stay,” said a traveler. “We’re staying at my sister-in-law’s family’s place, but we want to get home to our dogs and our kitties. It’s been a long week in the sun.”

Traveler Adaly Aguirre, whose flight was delayed, said she already has a plan to get to Boston if she and her daughter don’t make it out of MIA by Thursday night.

“I’m willing to drive. I mean, this is crazy,” said Aguirre, “so I’m gonna wait to see what they tell me, and then, based on what they tell me, then I might decide to drive.”

For soldier Brianna Smith, the bad weather means one more day at home, but she knows there will still be plenty of snow waiting when she gets back to base in Virginia.

“They try to keep us warm, but, you know, we still have to exercise and stay fit,” said Smith.

Across the nation, more than 3,100 flights were cancelled and 900 delayed.

Travelers are encouraged to check their flight status before arriving to the airport.

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