Just as the holiday travel season begins to heat up, Mother Nature is throwing a nasty, frozen curveball at much of the U.S. and Eastern Canada.
Vancouver International Airport is beginning to recover from a freak (well, maybe not anymore) snowstorm, but it’s still frigid in Alberta. And now a big storm with rain, flash freezes, high winds and sizable snow accumulations is headed to Ontario and Quebec.
The forecast calls for rain in Toronto and Southern Ontario today, but the temperature is set to plummet on Friday and the rain should turn to snow. Road conditions are expected to be treacherous, and the snowplows likely will be out in force on the holiday weekend at Toronto Pearson, Ottawa International and Montreal Trudeau.
Air Canada has issued snow advisories for Friday and then Saturday, Christmas Eve, for Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto Pearson, Canada’s busiest airport. Environment Canada officials are asking people to stay home over the next few days if they possibly can.
Hundreds of Air Canada and WestJet flights have been grounded since Sunday and other affected airports include those in Victoria and Calgary. WestJet said it had to cancel 460 flights between Sunday and Tuesday. Another 130 were cancelled on Wednesday (out of 563 scheduled).
FlightAware.com reports 34 Air Canada flight cancellations for Wednesday.
WestJet said that, as of 10:45 a.m. Eastern Time, there were 76 cancellations today out of 597 scheduled flights, and that 83 Friday flights HAVE ALREADY BEEN CANCELLED. The airline also cautioned that the Friday cancellation figure is expected to increase.
WestJet said extreme weather across Alberta and B.C. is still impacting operations. They also noted that “another winter storm system is expected to impact Vancouver and the Southern B.C. region on Thursday night and into Friday morning which will result in further cancellations.
Media reports indicated many people at Vancouver YVR were stranded for hours on planes on the tarmac, or forced to sleep at the airport. Vancouver Airport officials said on Twitter today (Dec. 22) that flights are steadily arriving and departing.
FlightAware was reporting 93 WestJet flight cancellations as of 1:15 p.m. today, with 51 for Air Canada.
WestJet officials said frigid temperatures in Alberta and Northern B.C. were still causing problems. The airline also noted there are de-icing limitations when the temperature falls to -29C.
U.S. airlines have issued waivers in advance of the storm, which is expected to hit Chicago O’Hare – a major hub – quite hard. Buffalo, too, has severe wind and weather warnings out. Air Canada has weather advisories out for today for Chicago, Minneapolis and Detroit airports.
FlightAware reports 242 flights have been cancelled at Chicago O’Hare (23%) as of 12:15 p.m. Central Time. The website also shows 231 cancellations in Denver (24%) as of 11:15 a.m. Mountain Time. Kansas City had seen 30% of its outgoing flights cancelled as of 12:15 p.m. Central Time.
Both of Canada’s largest airlines say they’ve adjusted policies to help consumers cope. WestJet said it’s trying to reaccommodate passengers, but noted there’s limited space.
“We are monitoring multiple weather systems and anticipate further weather impacts in the coming days. If you have confirmed travel between now and December 26, and would like to proactively cancel a flight only reservation, you can do so through the following REFUND FORM,” officials said on the company website.
“Any guest who proactively cancels their flight will receive a full refund to original form of payment. Additionally, enhanced flexible change and cancel policies remain in place between now and January 8, 2023, provided changes are actioned before December 26.”Canada sent me an email saying they’re closely monitoring the weather.
“As you know, we do put goodwill policies in place that allow changes and in cases of cancellations we offer refunds,” officials said. “In some cases, such as with Vancouver where the storm’s effects are expected to linger we have put a policy in place to allow changes up to December 31.
“Overall we monitor the weather closely and will put in place change and goodwill policies so people can alter their travel plans once we get greater certainty closer in to a weather event. Again though, our customers’ overwhelming preference is to travel and we aim to make this possible providing we can do so safely and circumstances allow.”
Porter Airlines also is offering free changes.
“We are offering complimentary flight changes to flights on Thursday, Friday and Saturday for passengers whose flights are affected by weather. Please contact our Call Centre for assistance,” Porter said on its Twitter feed.
From the Northwest states to Maryland, some 70 million Americans are under a winter weather alert, the BBC reports.
If you positively must travel in the next few days, prepare for long waits and delays, as well as potential cancellations. I did a CBC radio interview this morning and the host said she read about a couple who had to ration formula for their baby as they waited for a flight. If you’re travelling with babies, bring extra formula. Lots of it.
If you’re travelling with older kids, or on your own, bring not just snacks to the airport but several meals. I mean it. Bring sandwiches. Bring chopped veggies and fruit. Bring dry soup or freeze-dried camping food that can be mixed with hot water (likely you can get it from an airport restaurant or coffee shop).
You might very well be stuck at the airport for quite some time, so bring comfortable, warm clothes. Bring a big, puffy jacket you can use as a blanket, or pack an actual blanket in your carry-on. Consider packing a neck pillow or something else you can use to rest your head on a hard seat or bench. And bring books, electronic devices and a deck of cards to keep yourself and young ones entertained.
If you’re at the airport, don’t get all huffy with the airline crew. They’re under a lot of stress, too, and they want to help. Be kind. Smile. Ask how they’re coping and what their holiday plans are. Remember that old adage: “You’ll catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar.”
Of course, airports aren’t the only thing we have to worry about when there’s bad weather. My friend Laura Byrne Paquet, who’s based in Ottawa and writes extensively about local road trips, reminded CBC listeners today to make sure they have plenty of warm clothes, food and drinks in their car if they’re driving, as well as flares and a shovel. Also, she says to make sure your phone is charged (I would bring a backup charger) and that your gas tank is full. If you get stranded on the road, you’ll need to keep your car running to stay warm, and that means burning through your gas.
We can’t do anything about the weather, but we can prepare.
