<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=192888919167017&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
Monday, March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

Linkedin Pinterest

Christmas Eve for many: Warm, windy and not white

The Columbian
Published:
2 Photos
David Welborn, 7, sits in the lost luggage line at the Delta Airlines desk at RDU International Airport on Tuesday. With his trusty dog &quot;Wolfbaby&quot; perched on his head, he was with his mother and about 15 other people trying to find their bags after a cross country flight from Washington State. They were headed to Kinston, N.C.
David Welborn, 7, sits in the lost luggage line at the Delta Airlines desk at RDU International Airport on Tuesday. With his trusty dog "Wolfbaby" perched on his head, he was with his mother and about 15 other people trying to find their bags after a cross country flight from Washington State. They were headed to Kinston, N.C. for the holidays. Photo Gallery

A midmorning check today showed nearly all flights were operating as scheduled to and from Portland International Airport, with some flights from the East and Midwest running a few minutes early.

The biggest obstacle to travel was finding parking in the economy lot. The lot was 95 percent full as of 9:30 a.m. A good amount of more expensive parking was available in the long-term and short-term parking garages near the terminal.

Because lines at ticket counters and security checkpoints are longer during the holidays, Port of Portland officials suggest people arrive two hours ahead of their scheduled flight time, particularly during the early morning rush hours.

One travel tip: Passengers can use the security checkpoint at either end of the terminal to reach their gate. A post-security indoor walkway connects the north and south ends of the airport.

A midmorning check today showed nearly all flights were operating as scheduled to and from Portland International Airport, with some flights from the East and Midwest running a few minutes early.

The biggest obstacle to travel was finding parking in the economy lot. The lot was 95 percent full as of 9:30 a.m. A good amount of more expensive parking was available in the long-term and short-term parking garages near the terminal.

Because lines at ticket counters and security checkpoints are longer during the holidays, Port of Portland officials suggest people arrive two hours ahead of their scheduled flight time, particularly during the early morning rush hours.

One travel tip: Passengers can use the security checkpoint at either end of the terminal to reach their gate. A post-security indoor walkway connects the north and south ends of the airport.

For up-to-date information, visit www.flypdx.com.

For up-to-date information, visit www.flypdx.com.

NEW YORK — Christmas Eve shaped up to be windy, wet and warm instead of white across much of the country, creating headaches for travelers in the Great Lakes, the Northeast and a storm-battered swath of the South.

While parts of the South cleaned up from severe storms that killed at least four people, a system that forecasters had feared could bring several inches of snow to the Midwest, including the air travel hub of Chicago, mostly petered out or turned out to be rain.

Still, by Wednesday afternoon, more than 300 flights had been canceled in the U.S., according to flight tracking service Flight-

Aware. Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport was hardest hit, accounting for about 100 of the cancellations.

Parts of Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota reported snow accumulations from just a dusting to up to 4 inches.

Holiday travelers in Ohio, Michigan and New York faced the prospect of windy weather. A high wind warning was issued from Wednesday evening to this morning for much of northern Ohio.

Meteorologists warned that gusts of 65 mph in western New York could blow away holiday decorations. Heavy rain was predicted to accompany the wind across New England, where much of the region was put under a flood watch through tonight.

In Michigan, utility companies braced for extremely strong winds a year after a storm put thousands of people in the dark at Christmas. The weather service said the strongest winds are expected at night and would last nearly until dawn today.

Crews were on standby Wednesday in anticipation of gusts of 45 mph or higher in the Detroit area, said DTE Energy spokeswoman Randi Berris.

Power companies struggled to restore electricity to thousands of people in Mississippi after severe weather killed at least four people, injured about 50, and damaged or destroyed an unknown number of homes and businesses.

In south Georgia, more than 50 counties were under a tornado watch as thunderstorms continued in many parts of the state.

Along the East Coast, a light but steady rain fell amid unseasonable warmth.

In northern New Jersey, forecasters warned thunderstorms could boom as temperatures head toward 60. A coastal flood advisory was in effect, and fog was predicted in the northern part of the state.

Sarah Stothers, of Washington, D.C., said as she stopped at a travel plaza on the New Jersey Turnpike that rain and fog made the trip tough, but it wasn’t as bad as she had expected based on the weather forecast.

“I thought it would be a lot worse,” she said. “I thought there would be a lot more people on the road.”

Still, some parts of the country were welcoming bona fide snow in time for Christmas.

Five to 10 inches was forecast in mountain passes in Nevada’s Sierras and up to 10 inches was predicted for parts of Wyoming. And mountainous areas of Washington expected 3 to 5 inches to fall Wednesday.

In eastern Colorado, Interstate 70 was shut down into Kansas for eight hours because of strong winds and blowing snow. Parts of western South Dakota saw snow accumulations of a foot or more through Tuesday morning. Higher elevations in the Black Hills got close to 2 feet.

But not all winter enthusiasts were so lucky.

Snow isn’t expected in other parts of South Dakota until Friday. Sioux Falls resident Alana Amdahl said she’s disappointed about the lack of snow projected for Christmas.

“We live in South Dakota for a reason,” said Amdahl, 27. “We don’t have palm trees to put Christmas lights on, we have evergreens. Of course, we need snow. It can melt after the new year.”

Loading...