Hundreds of flights into and out of Dallas-Fort Worth airport were cancelled Thursday as Texas braces for a winter storm that could bring up to five inches of snow.
The Context
The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning and winter weather advisory for North and Central Texas Thursday and into early Friday. The warning is in effect for areas near and east of the DFW metroplex, according to the NWS, and there's a winter storm watch for western North Texas and northern Central Texas.
The NWS forecasts that two to five inches of snow will accumulate in the warning area and areas north and northeast of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex could see up to eight inches.
A statewide emergency has also been declared as Texas braces for a polar vortex that has plunged temperatures nationwide. The polar vortex triggered deep freeze warnings and advisories across Texas as officials warn the weather could lead to dangerous conditions for residents and infrastructure.
What To Know
As of 3:21 p.m. ET on Thursday, 709 flights out of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and 698 flights into the airport had been canceled, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.
An additional 124 flights out of Dallas Love Field Airport were also canceled, as were 126 flights heading into the airport, per FlightAware's real-time data.
American Airlines, which is headquartered in Fort Worth, saw 659—19 percent—of its flights canceled as of Thursday afternoon. Southwest, which is based in Dallas, canceled 8 percent of its flights, FlightAware said.
What People Are Saying
American Airlines said in a statement earlier this week that it was preparing for the winter storm: "American will continue tracking this system with our customers' and team members' safety top of mind."
DFW Airport posted an update on X Thursday morning: "Our teams and our partners will be working throughout the day to keep DFW Airport safe and operational! If you are scheduled to travel through DFW today, please check with your airline on your flight's status before heading to the airport and use caution while driving."
Governor Greg Abbott wrote on X: "Today, I activated state emergency response resources ahead of severe winter weather expected to impact the state this week. As Texas faces snow, ice, and freezing rain, we're working around-the-clock to ensure Texans have necessary resources."
What Happens Next
The storm is expected to move east toward Atlanta, a Delta Airlines hub, on Friday and then up toward the mid-Atlantic, the NWS forecasted.
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