Travelers, be aware. It’s really, really windy in the U.S. right now.
High winds have been plaguing several areas along both U.S. coasts since Monday, causing sweeps of flight delays and cancellations.
On the east coast, airport passengers in New York and New Jersey have been dealing with wind gusts of up to 62 mph, according to PIX 11. Travelers at La Guardia Airport reported over two-hour delays.
PIX 11 reported that 89 flights have been delayed and 70 flight have been canceled at LaGuardia alone. At Newark Liberty International Airport, there was average delay of three hours and 36 minutes, and AirTrain service had to be suspended from 9 a.m. to the mid afternoon on Monday, according to NorthJersey.com.
The National Weather Service issued a high-wind warning for the entire state of New Jersey until 6 p.m. on Monday. Strong winds brought down trees and power lines, leaving an estimated 1,800 people without power.
Up in Rochester and the Capital region of New York, there were more problems with windy conditions. At Greater Rochester International Airport, there were 12 delayed and two canceled arrivals, as well as six delays and 14 canceled departures, according to WHAM 13. More than 40 arrivals and departures have been either canceled or delayed at Buffalo Niagara International Airport as well, according to WIVB.
Winds continued into Tuesday morning in the Capital region, causing more power outages as well as delayed and canceled flights, according to NBC News 13. Passenger Ethel Kramer at Albany International Airport said to NBC News 13, “It is frustrating because you don't know what to expect.”
Slightly farther west, the wind wasn’t letting up in the Philadelphia area. Winds that began on Sunday night and continued through Monday reached nearly 60 mph, knocking out power for more than 130,000 people, according to Philly.com, though all but 22,000 had their power back by the end of the day.
Philadelphia International Airport also announced more than 140 delayed or canceled flights, though not all could have been attributed to the weather alone, Philly.com reported. The Pittsburgh airport also saw wind gusts of 61 mph, according to CBS.
Even Midwestern airports were reportedly being affected by the extreme wind. The Indianapolis International Airport experienced wind gusts at 65 mph around 7 a.m. on Sunday morning, according to Fox 59.
And naturally, the “Windy City” of Chicago has reportedly seen wind gusts of over 60 mph. And Gary Airport, in Gary, Indiana actually reported a gust of 63 mph, according to NBC Chicago.
In addition, many flights from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to cities around the country were either canceled or delayed on Monday, according to News 5.
Out west, the San Francisco and Reno-Tahoe areas got their fair share of windy weather as well. At San Francisco International Airport, flights were reportedly delayed by an average of two hours and 42 minutes, according to Flight View. More than 110 flights were canceled by 8:30 a.m. due to an “atmospheric river” storm system, which attributed to the high winds, according to Mercury News.
Flood and flash flood warnings are also in effect in the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento areas, according to 2News.
At Reno-Tahoe International, there were reportedly two diverted flights and 12 cancellations as of Tuesday morning, 2News reported. Meanwhile, residents in the Reno area have been struggling against heavy snow and 40-50 mph winds (with gusts over 60 mph). A winter storm warning is in effect until Thursday morning.
Strong winds can cause plenty of problems for flights. In fact, high winds are also being reported internationally and rocking flights as they try to make landings. On Monday, one British Airways plane was seen swaying in the air as it attempted to land in Gibraltar, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Malaga, Spain, according to the BBC.
If you are in or planning to travel to any of these areas in the next day or so, be sure to check your flight schedule before heading to the airport. And, if not, feel free to stay home until the wind finally breaks.