LAX flight cancellations begin early Friday as freezing weather continues to grip country
LOS ANGELES — Some holiday travelers can expect some unwanted gifts as flight cancellations and delays greet them Friday at Los Angeles International Airport.
A freezing winter storm moving across the country is creating a travel nightmare before Christmas on one of the busiest travel days of the holiday season.
There were more than 60 cancellations at LAX in the past 24 hours, according to media reports, and 25 cancellations reported Friday morning.
More than 3,000 flights have been canceled nationwide, and the most affected cities are New York, Chicago and Denver.
A winter storm is moving through the central United States toward the East Coast Friday, and it will affect about 135 million people over the weekend, according to reports from the National Weather Service.
“This is not like a snow day when you were a kid,” President Joe Biden said Thursday during a news conference in the Oval Office. “This is serious stuff.”
The winter storm is creating problems for travelers at LAX and other airports in Southern California.
“I couldn’t get a flight anywhere, so I had to get my brother to drive me down to Seattle — had to book a flight out of Seattle to go to Denver, to fly here. My Seattle flight was delayed, my Denver flight was delayed, and now they lost my luggage — but I’m home,” Christine Lerosen told ABC 7.
Those traveling by car might face problems as well. The worst time to be on the road will be between 4 and 7 p.m. Friday, according to AAA. The best time to drive will be before 2 p.m. and after 8 p.m. Friday.
Southern California is expected to have the warmest temperatures in the country, with highs over 80 in some areas on Christmas Day.