Winter Storm Update: Houston Airports Reopen, Hundreds of Wednesday Flights Canceled

As California continues to face critical wildfire risks, the southern U.S. is battling snow, sleet, and freezing rain, creating travel issues from Texas to North Carolina on Wednesday.

According to the National Weather Service, the storm, which began earlier in the week, is expected to continue dumping snow and sleet on the region from northern Florida to the Outer Banks of North Carolina through Wednesday morning.

“These travel impacts may linger for several days given the historic heavy accumulations combined with frigid temperatures, as well as the lack of equipment for clearing roads compared to areas further north more accustomed to this amount of snowfall,” the National Weather Service said in an update Wednesday.

In addition to difficulties reaching airports, the storm is expected to disrupt travel through at least Wednesday.

Houston-area airports, which were heavily affected on Tuesday and forced to close due to the storm, are set to reopen Wednesday morning. George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport are scheduled to resume flights at 11 a.m., with security checkpoints reopening at 9 a.m.

Even with the reopening, travel disruptions continue in Houston and other cities. Here are the hardest-hit airports as of 7 a.m. EST Wednesday, according to FlightAware:

• Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH): 195 cancellations (34% of its schedule), 41 flights delayed.
• New Orleans International (MSY): 99 cancellations (69% of its schedule).
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL): 71 cancellations (6% of its schedule).
• William P. Hobby (HOU): 59 cancellations (35% of its schedule).
• Charleston International (CHS): 51 cancellations (68% of its schedule).
• Jacksonville International (JAX): 46 cancellations (56% of its schedule).

Flight Waivers

Several carriers are allowing travelers affected by this week’s weather to change flights without penalty or fare differences.

American Airlines has issued a waiver for travel through Jan. 23 for more than 40 airports in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas. The airline is allowing all affected travelers to rebook flights through Jan. 27 without penalty.

Delta Air Lines has issued a waiver for a growing list of airports through Wednesday, including airports as far north as Georgia, though not Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), and as far south as Tallahassee, Florida. The waiver applies to flights through these airports until Jan. 22 and allows travelers to rebook flights through Jan. 27.

Southwest, which cancelled all of its flights out of New Orleans on Tuesday, has a waiver out for that airport including Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) through Wednesday and a separate waiver for Houston Hobby (HOU) and New Orleans (MSY) through Thursday. Southwest is allowing those travelers to book new flights within 14 days of their original date of travel without any additional charges. 

United Airlines, the carrier most affected by the Houston cancellations, has issued a waiver for travel through Friday night at several dozen airports, including Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL), all Dallas airports, New Orleans (MSY), San Antonio (SAT), and more. United is allowing impacted travelers to change to new flights scheduled by Jan. 30.