More than 1000 US flights canceled as winter weather snarls travel

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More than 1,000 flights have been canceled in the United States on Monday as winter weather moves through the middle of the country, with disruptions set to continue into Tuesday.

So far, the most affected airports are Dallas Love Field, Dallas-Fort Worth International, Austin Bergstrom International and Houston Bush International airports in Texas.

Two other western airports, Las Vegas’ Harry Reid International and Colorado’s Denver International, are also experiencing significant delays.

As of 11 p.m. ET Monday, just over 1,100 flights within, into or out of the US have been canceled, according to flight tracking site FlightAware, with more than 5,000 delays. More than 900 Tuesday flights have already been canceled.

About half of those cancellations are Southwest Airlines flights. The Dallas-based airline, which had an operations meltdown over the holidays, had canceled about 12% of its Monday schedule – about 480 flights, according to FlightAware.

Southwest Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment. As recently as Monday morning, CEO Bob Jordan was outlining fixes to prevent a repeat of the airline’s Christmas travel meltdown.

American Airlines and regional carrier SkyWest also saw numerous delays and cancellations.

There’s a winter storm warning in effect for a large portion of Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, until 6 a.m. Central Time on Wednesday, February 2.

Weather waivers for travelers

Southwest Airlines issued a winter weather waiver on Sunday and had extended waivers by midday Monday to a dozen airports in Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas and Kentucky. The latest waivers apply to travel from January 30 to February 1.

American Airlines issued a waiver on Sunday for Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) that applies to travel from January 29 to February 2.

Delta and United have also issued weather waivers. Their Monday operations were not significantly impacted by cancellations.

Dallas Love Field tweeted on Monday that its team “stands ready to treat and clear surfaces to allow for safe operations.” DFW was also preparing for bad weather.

Both airports urged travelers to check with their airlines for flight status before going to the airport.

Dangerous driving conditions

The weather will also make for treacherous road conditions. Up to a half an inch of ice or sleet is possible in parts of Texas, the National Weather Service warns. Ice accumulation is expected across at least 15 states, the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center said.

“If you must travel, slow down and use extreme caution particularly when approaching bridges and overpasses,” the Texas warning says.

Motorists are advised to have a flashlight, food and water in their vehicles in case of an emergency. Here’s more on what to pack for winter driving.

Top image: Motorists in Dallas face wintry conditions. Credit: KTVT