Delays, Cancellations Pile Up At Icy Hartsfield-Jackson Airport

ATLANTA, GA — A winter storm that brought snow and ice to metro Atlanta has caused flight delays and cancellations at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

More than 200 flights in and out of the world's busiest airport had been canceled Wednesday morning, according to airport-tracker website FlightAware.com. Inbound flights were being delayed at their destinations an average of two hours and 35 minutes and departures from Atlanta were delayed an average one hour, seven minutes.

The Federal Aviation Administration declared a ground delay at the airport Wednesday morning and passengers were being advised to check with their airline for their most recent flight status.

At about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, FlightAware's Misery Map showed 666 delays and 154 cancellations still outstanding related to the weather, which caused runways and taxiways at the airport to ice over.

By about 3:30 p.m., the airport said operations were "ongoing," but that, due to a limited number of TSA staffers who were able to make it to work, security wait times were running about an hour. Passengers departing Wednesday afternoon were urged to arrive no less than two hours ahead of their flight time.

Snow, Ice Put Metro Atlanta In State Of Emergency

According to the FAA, winter weather from Boston to Atlanta was causing delays Wednesday morning. For up-to-the-minute air traffic operations information, travelers may visit the FAA website and follow @FAANews on Twitter for the latest news and Air Traffic Alerts.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal issued a state of emergency late Tuesday for 83 counties, spanning much of north and central Georgia, urging Georgians to stay off of roads that had iced up in freezing temperatures overnight.

Most areas of north and west Georgia received up to an inch of snow Tuesday afternoon and overnight, according to the National Weather Service. By 8:30 a.m., the temperature in Atlanta was still a freezing 16 degrees, causing concerns about frozen roadways.

The National Weather Service warned of "extremely dangerous" driving conditions on Wednesday morning. Another half-inch to inch of snow is expected in north Georgia Wednesday morning, the weather service said, causing roads "to remain or become extremely slick and hazardous."

Officials also were warning north Georgia residents to be aware of the danger of low wind chills. With strong wind gusts as high as 30 m.p.h., temperatures could feel as low as -5 degrees on Wednesday morning.

If you have a flight scheduled Wednesday out of, or into, Hartsfield-Jackson, here is how to check your flight's status:

• American
• Delta
• Frontier
• Southwest
• Spirit

Many travelers will find themselves rebooking flights that were canceled on Wednesday. Here are links to change-waiver information and info on rebooking your flight:

• American
• Delta
• Frontier
• Southwest
• Spirit

Photo courtesy Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport