Travel Alert March 2017: Major Winter Storm

by Brian Cohen

Snow

If an area which includes eastern portions of Wisconsin and Illinois and the extreme northwestern corner of South Carolina all the way through the entire northeastern United States and beyond the Canadian Maritimes is in your travel plans over the next few days, you may want to consider delaying your travel — or, at least, keep yourself updated as to the latest information pertaining to the weather — as winter is definitely not yet over by any stretch of the imagination in as many as 22 states and six provinces which are expected to be affected by a major winter storm.

Travel Alert March 2017: Major Winter Storm

As much as 18 inches of snow is expected to accumulate in cities such as Philadelphia, New York, Hartford, Newark and Portland; while the District of Columbia and cities such as Harrisburg, Manchester, Baltimore, Albany, Worcester, Providence, Wilmington, Boston, Moncton and Saint John are expecting as much as a foot of snow.

Add gusty winds of up to 60 miles per hour and temperatures which are forecast to be significantly colder than normal; and conditions are favorable for blizzards, which will result in blowing and drifting snow. Electrical power outages — as well as tree and limb damage — are likely to occur.

The aforementioned locations may be shut down altogether for all intents and purposes; but other cities will be significantly impacted as well with up to six inches of snow and windy conditions — such as Chicago, Toronto, Atlantic City, Rochester, Pittsburgh, Asheville, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Detroit, Québec, Indianapolis, Columbus, Halifax, Buffalo, Roanoke, Montréal, Burlington and Charlottetown.

High tides of up to two feet above normal levels; coastal flooding; and beach erosion are expected along the shoreline of the United States and Canada from Delaware and Maryland northward.

Torrential downpours are possible in areas of the United States with warmer temperatures.

Flight Waivers, Delays and Cancellations

If you are traveling to anywhere in midwestern and northeastern United States and eastern Canada over the next few days, expect delays and cancellations of flights. Keep up to date on the latest information pertaining to this winter weather system which may adversely affect your travel plans. Better yet, postponing or canceling your trip might be a better option — no matter which mode of travel you plan on taking.

If you have a flight scheduled, your flight may be delayed or canceled — and you may be eligible for a waiver of a fee to change your itinerary. If you are driving in any of these areas, watch out for deteriorating weather conditions and traffic problems.

Here are ten airlines which have issued travel alerts as a result of this winter weather system:

Inside Take

This situation has been rapidly changing as it develops; so please be sure to contact your airline or transportation provider for the latest information pertaining to your travels — if they are adversely affected — as you should expect additional airlines to post travel alerts to these areas…

…and please: travel safely.

Photograph ©2011 by Brian Cohen.

About The Author

Having traveled to greater than 50 countries on six continents and all 50 United States, Brian Cohen is a veteran frequent flyer who has been a member of frequent flyer communities for greater than 13 years; and has authored The Gate since August 2006.

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