Winter Weather Impacting Holiday Travel

Winter weather is impacting the record-breaking number of Americans traveling this holiday season.

In the Southeast, heavy rain and winds forced South Florida’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to temporarily close Monday. However, the airport has since reopened.

According to Weather.com, soaking rain will also hamper travelers in Southern California this Christmas. The system is expected to bring several inches of snow to parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and the High Plains later this week.

Wintry precipitation is expected to reach parts of the Midwest by the weekend. Still, the forecast remains uncertain heading into the holidays with the East Coast also facing the potential for rain, snow or ice, any of which would further snarl busy roads and airports.

Flight-tracking website FlightAware.com reports 142 flight cancellations and 676 delays within, into or out of the U.S. as of 9:30 a.m. ET Tuesday.

Travelers are encouraged to check their flight status prior to arriving at the airport and leave themselves plenty of additional time if taking to the roads.