South Florida flights affected as blizzard bears down on eastern US

Dozens of flights canceled by Friday morning

MIAMI – Dozens of South Florida flights were affected Friday as a blizzard was poised to hit the eastern United States.

Miami-Dade Aviation Department spokesman Marc Henderson said 70 flights were canceled at Miami International Airport by 4 p.m. and 54 flights were delayed. All affected flights were bound for Toronto; Memphis; Pittsburgh; Indianapolis; Minneapolis/St. Paul; Houston; Orlando; Jacksonville; Richmond; Norfolk; Newark; Chicago; Birmingham; Atlanta; Washington, D.C.; New York; Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Cleveland; Philadelphia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Raleigh-Durham; Nashville; Kansas City, MO; Pensacola; Tallahassee, and Greensboro, North Carolina.

Of the 70 cancelations, 20 were arrivals and 50 were departures. Of the 54 delays, 42 were arrivals and 12 were departures.

As of 3 p.m., 110 flights were delayed at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and 75 flights had been canceled.

The National Weather Service said 1 to 3 inches of snow an hour could fall in some areas. Washington D.C. could get more than 2 feet. Five states and the District of Columbia already have declared states of emergency.

Forecasters are warning of brutally high winds, dangerous inland flooding, white-out conditions and even the possibility of thunder snow.

The snow is already falling in some parts of the eastern half of the U.S. In Arkansas, about 6 inches of snow fell overnight in the Little Rock area, breaking a snowfall record set more than 20 years ago. The winter storm has shut down schools and state government offices, and the snow continues to fall.

In Shelby County, Tennessee, officials said some bridges and overpasses are icy, but salt and sand trucks have been out since early Friday.


About the Authors:

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.