Wet, Foggy And Windy Weather Snarling Some Holiday Travel
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Foggy and rainy weather is causing some delays at area airports as throngs of holiday travelers try to get in and out of town, and a forecast for heavier rain and wind could snarl travel further.
By Wednesday evening, Federal Aviation Administration data showed planes at John F. Kennedy International Airport were being delayed about 35 to 45 minutes.
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Some arriving flights at LaGuardia Airport were running an average of about 15 minutes behind schedule with only a handful of cancellations.
"Our flight from Dallas to Monroe, Louisiana has already been delayed," traveler Jessica Rutherford told CBS2's Andrea Grymes. "So we'll see. But it's not the last flight out, so hopefully we'll make it."
Peter from White Plains waited for hours trying to get his son to Milwaukee to visit friends
"Obviously, you know the anxiety, the wait, you know you get that little frustration maybe there," he told WCBS 880's Ginny Kosola.
The Basila family was headed to family in Brazil for Christmas.
"We kept an eye on the news hour by hour, but we've been lucky -- better than snow," Antonio Basila told CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff.
Wet, Foggy And Windy Weather Snarling Some Holiday Travel
Delays at Newark's Liberty International Airport were up to 45 minutes and increasing.
"With the rain today, we're going to see scattered delays and cancellations," Thomas Bosco, director of the Aviation Department for the Port Authority, told 1010 WINS. "The best advice I could give to the air traveling public is to call ahead to your airline, find out about the status of your specific flight before you come to the airport."
The National Weather Service said the New York City area could get gusty winds, downpours and thunderstorms Wednesday night.
In New Jersey, a coastal flood advisory was in effect from 8 a.m. through 1 p.m., but has since expired.
The National Weather Service said parts of Connecticut could receive 1 to 2 inches of rain by Thursday morning, with the possibility of some areas receiving as much as 3 inches.
A flood watch is in effect from 1 p.m. Wednesday through Christmas Day.
About six million people are traveling by air for the holidays this year, but more will be hitting the roads. About 89 million Americans are driving to their holiday destinations.
Paul Orgera, of Annapolis, Maryland, stopped at the Woodrow Wilson Travel Plaza on his way to Long Island, and he was taking the commute "slow and steady'' to avoid getting into an accident.
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Sarah Stothers, of Washington, D.C., who was driving to Westchester, said 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.''
Kathy, who was headed to Queens, said she hopes the weather will get better.
"New York never sleeps, so the party will still go on," she told 1010 WINS' Rebecca Granet.
If you're hitting the rails for get your holiday destination, Metro-North, Long Island Rail Road and NJ TRANSIT are all offering extra getaway trains on Wednesday.
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