Winter storm may complicate travel plans at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport
If you were to take an overlay of the National Weather Service forecast for the approaching winter storm, the areas expected to be hardest hit all fall within Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport’s service area.
Travelers should stay in touch with their airline, given the severity of the forecast, said Rick Piccolo, the airport’s president and CEO.
The National Weather Service forecasts an Arctic blast of dangerous and life-threatening cold that will blanket much of the Lower 48 over the next few days.
“Wind chill warnings, watches and advisories currently extend from the Northwest to as far south as the Gulf Coast and east into the eastern U.S. A powerful winter storm is also expected with the blast to produce heavy snow and blizzard conditions in the Midwest and Great Lakes,” the National Weather Service says.
That’s a big complication for travelers, considering that Thanksgiving and the Christmas-Hanukkah holidays are already the busiest travel times of the year at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ).
“So far we are seeing some slight delays but nothing too long,” Piccolo said in a text. “We will see as the day progresses. We did see four flights canceled in the morning but that was because of fog here. They were diverted to Tampa last night and therefore were not here for morning departure.”
Among flights delayed Thursday:
▪ An American flight from Charlotte scheduled for 9:45 a.m. was delayed until 12:47 p.m.
▪ A Southwest flight from Nashville scheduled for 11:55 a.m. was delayed until 12:27 p.m.
▪ A Sun Country flight from Minneapolis scheduled for 11:28 a.m. was delayed until 12:37 p.m.
▪ An American flight from Chicago scheduled for 12:05 p.m. was delayed until 12:29 p.m.
SRQ, the nation’s fastest-growing airport, has opened new parking areas during the holiday season, including an airline apron near where a new ground level terminal is planned.
The National Weather forecast for Bradenton on Friday calls for a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8 a.m. The day will be mostly sunny, with the temperature rising to near 71 by 11 a.m., then falling to around 59 during the remainder of the day.
Friday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low around 36. North wind will be 11 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
Saturday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 52. Saturday night, the low is expected to be 35.
On Christmas day, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 51. Sunday night, it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 38.
This story was originally published December 22, 2022 at 11:57 AM.
