There’s no place like home for the holidays, but in large parts of Canada and the United States, getting there could be difficult amid a series of weather warnings.
A storm and extreme cold in Western Canada has grounded hundreds of flights to Vancouver, Victoria and Calgary, and Environment Canada says to avoid all travel, if possible, to large parts of Ontario and Quebec at the approaching winter storm.
the Environment Canada warning card is lit up like a Christmas tree, full of reds and yellows, with only Manitoba completely free of warnings, watches or special weather reports. In the United States, the same weather systems are expected to cause power outages and travel chaos.
In total, millions of people in both countries could see their travel or celebration plans affected over the holiday weekend.
More snow on the way to already hampered British Columbia
In British Columbia, travel has already been disrupted by a heavy snowfall that arrived earlier this week, including disruptions at BC Ferries and Vancouver International Airport, where dozens of international flights were affected by a backlog. Some passengers were left on the tarmac for 12 hours and the backlog impacted other flights across the country.
Calgarian Angie Ostojic said Wednesday that she and her family were stuck at Vancouver airport, instead of on their way to the Philippines.
“There’s no plan B, because we can’t move,” she said. “We can’t go anywhere. They can’t fly us back. And we only have two weeks – supposed to – in the Philippines.”
Some passengers have complained that it is almost impossible to reach anyone with the airlines.
Matt Leger, who was stranded at Vancouver airport trying to get to Tampa, Florida – and was still stuck in Seattle on Thursday morning – told CBC News Network he had trouble reaching Air Canada .
“When I got off the plane in Seattle, I couldn’t speak to any Air Canada representatives either in person or on the phone. So I was kind of left in the dark, not knowing not when my next flight would be.”
WATCH | Léger describes how the storm disrupted his vacation trip:
Matt Leger says his trip to Tampa, Fla., has been in limbo since Monday because of the B.C. snowstorm. He was stuck in Seattle after being stuck in Vancouver for four days.
Eventually he contacted someone at the airline, who told him he either had to wait until Christmas or fly to Orlando, about 135 miles by road from Tampa. “My dad is going to have to pick me up,” he said.
Officials say it will take at least one more day for the airport to return to normal, but Mother Nature continues: Environment Canada says a ‘significant winter storm’ is expected on the south coast of British Columbia Thursday evening, with high winds and snow for Vancouver, Vancouver Island and the Fraser Valley.
Consider postponing rallies until Boxing Day, Ontarians said
In Ontario, the weather agency has placed most of the province under a warning or watch ahead of a major winter storm expected Friday and over the holiday weekend.
Steven Flisfeder, meteorologist with Environment Canada, said damaging winds, possible sudden freezes and blizzard-like conditions will make driving difficult.
If you plan to travel for holiday gatherings, try to arrive before the worst of the storm or try to reschedule gatherings until Sunday, he said.
Until then, “take this time before the storm to prepare for the conditions ahead,” Flisfeder said. “It’s always best to be prepared, so you don’t have to rush when the storm actually approaches.”
In Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa, the agency forecast up to 15 centimeters of snow by Friday and wind gusts of up to 90 km/h. In other parts of southern Ontario, overnight rains combined with plummeting temperatures through Friday could lead to sudden freezing conditions.
Starting Friday, Environment Canada says a “crippling blizzard” could hit parts of southwestern Ontario, including Niagara and Owen Sound, bringing wind gusts up to 120 km/h and 15 to 30 centimeters of snow by Sunday.
Ccc-cold elsewhere
In other parts of Canada, the successes keep coming:
- Warnings of extreme cold in the Yukon, with zero visibility ice fog in some places.
- Extreme cold warnings in all corners of Alberta and parts of the Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan.
- Special weather statements for all Atlantic Provinces, varying slightly by location, but warning of precipitation, high winds and storm surge Friday and Saturday.
Any snowbirds hoping to escape winter this Christmas are also out of luck. Sub-zero temperatures affecting Canada are also expected to extend deep into the United States; places with names like Inland Citrus, Florida, and Sweetwater, Texas are warned of freezing temperatures.
WATCH | A “once in a generation” storm cripples Christmas travel across the United States:
A powerful winter storm is moving across the United States and Canada, bringing with it heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures. The storm has already disrupted travel for many people ahead of the holidays.
The U.S. National Weather Service warns the winter storm will have “potentially crippling impacts” on the central and eastern United States, with record cold and “potentially deadly wind chill” over the Great Plains and the eastern half of the country on Friday. .
In much of the country, the Christmas weekend could be the coldest in decades. There are wind chill warnings in 30 states.
The storm hitting the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeastern Interior regions “will make dangerous, if not impossible, land and air travel before the holiday weekend,” according to a statement from the service. .
More than 1,500 US flights had been canceled by midday Thursday and another 761 flights for Friday have been axed, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.
The storm is also affecting the sports world, with two NHL games postponed and more than a dozen college basketball games moved or canceled.
“It’s not like a snowy day when you were a kid,” President Joe Biden warned Thursday in the Oval Office after a briefing from federal officials. “It’s something serious.”
CBC weather coverage across the country:
“Gamer. Introvert. Problem solver. Creator. Thinker. Lifelong food evangelist. Alcohol advocate.”