JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville may not get snow as a result of the approaching winter storm, but that doesn’t mean travelers will be immune from cancellations and delays.
Given temperatures in the lower 70’s Friday afternoon, you might have expected travel out of Jacksonville International Airport to be business as usual.
But the approaching winter storm’s wrath loomed heavily on the minds of travelers, especially those headed to hubs in the storm’s path like Atlanta, New York, Boston and Houston.
“The weather here is wonderful compared to what’s going on in Boston,” Art Fennely said after arriving in Jacksonville Friday morning.
Fennely flew in from Boston for the weekend to escape the cold, but said he was a bit worried his plans to fly back home Sunday might be put on ice.
“I’m trying to get home to see the Patriots on Sunday, but I have a sneaking suspicion I’m gonna change my flight and maybe extend it a couple of days and enjoy the sunshine here in Jacksonville,” Fennely said.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
As of 4 PM, more than 550 flights were canceled across the US and over 2,300 more had already been canceled for Saturday.
Seven of those Saturday cancellations were reported at Jacksonville International Airport.
“Fern is bringing snow, ice and freezing rain to major hubs and that will slow the entire system down, even for travelers flying out of Jacksonville,” said AAA spokesperson Mark Jenkins.
Jenkins explained travelers should keep a close eye on their flight status, given many airlines are precanceling flights due to the storm.
“Certainly a frustrating situation if you’re an air traveler, but this is all in attempt to reduce the number of people that are left stranded overnight in the airports,” Jenkins said.
Travelers like Tiffany Keith, who was headed home to Mississippi Friday afternoon, are crossing their fingers ahead of their departures due to the winter storm.
“My fear mainly is I don’t get stuck in Atlanta, so I can make it back home. I have a two-year-old and an eight-year-old waiting on me,” Keith said.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
At least for Keith, things were thankfully looking all clear just before her flight.
“But you know how weather is, I mean, everything can look great and things could change last minute. So, hopefully it will be okay and I will be home tonight,” Keith said.
Jenkins argued building flexibility into your travel plans is key.
“Trains, buses, those can be smart alternatives for regional travel that are often less impacted by winter weather and will help keep you moving in case the airports are backed up,” Jenkins said.
But he cautioned rental car availability will likely be impacted, and Florida drivers might want to think twice before hitting the roads to travel North in the snow and ice.
“If you are not familiar with how to navigate those conditions, maybe this might not be a drive that you want to take,” Jenkins said.
Despite the frigid temps, ice and snow north of Florida, not everyone traveling this weekend is fleeing the storm.
Trish Leighton intentionally booked a flight to Northern Virginia after seeing the forecast to give her son Cory a chance to experience snow for the first time.
“It’ll be snowmen, snowball fights, learning how cold the snow is. It’ll be interesting for him. He’s so excited and I think he’s gonna be like, I’m cold, let’s go in now,” Leighton said.
Jenkins said Saturday is expected to see peak travel disruptions, but issues could linger all the way into Monday.
That means Leighton’s spontaneous winter trip won’t be completely without anxiety, given her return trip to Jacksonville is scheduled for Monday night.
“I think I might change that to Tuesday, which makes me nervous cause I pulled him out of school and everything for this, but yeah, as long as we get back safely, whatever happens it will happen,” Leighton said.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
