As travelers see glimpses of spring weather, the Rockies, Plains and Midwest regions of the United States are being hit by Winter Storm Ulmer, causing thousands of flights to be canceled and delayed.
According to Weather.com, the storm system is expected to bring damaging winds, heavy snow and blizzard conditions through Thursday, with Denver likely the city most impacted by Ulmer as 12 inches of snow is forecasted in some areas.
#Blizzard warnings are in effect for parts of seven states in the Plains as #WinterStormUlmer intensifies today: https://t.co/cBATak7Csu pic.twitter.com/GReQ2DpctZ
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) March 13, 2019
As the storm moves east, forecasters believe the snow will turn to rain and travel will not be impacted as severely. According to FlightAware.com as of 9:45 a.m. ET, over 1,200 flights within, into or out of the United States were canceled Wednesday morning and another 530-plus flights were delayed.
Apparently the #BombCyclone has a name and it is #Ulmer…
Rain and increasing wind in Denver at this point. pic.twitter.com/a9xQsof2tO
— Peter A. Grant (@GrantOnGold) March 13, 2019
Denver International Airport was the facility most impacted by the storm, with over 1,000 flights to and from the airport canceled Wednesday. Dallas/Fort Worth International was also dealing with over 100 cancellations.
A host of impacts and potential problems in the air, on the road and rivers too coming along with #WinterStormUlmer.
I’m in studio today alongside Alexandra Steele.
C ya on @weatherchannel TV at 9am ET. pic.twitter.com/DjxaUTnRzj
— Tevin Wooten (@TevinWooten) March 13, 2019
As a result of the delays and cancellations, airlines have started issuing travel advisories for customers scheduled to fly to or from impacted airports. Carriers such as airlines/american-airlines.html” target=”_self” rel=”nofollow noopener noreferrer”>American, Delta, Southwest and United have all started waiving change fees through March 14.
All passengers in impacted regions are being asked to call their airlines before heading to the airport to ensure their flights aren’t delayed or canceled.