NWS blows PHL forecast -- heavy snow today (Sunday 12/08/2013)
Dec 8, 13, 11:52 am
#1
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NWS blows PHL forecast -- heavy snow today (Sunday 12/08/2013)
I'm just south of PHL right now, and it's coming down at over an inch an hour. NWS just issued a winter storm warning for the area. It was just supposed to be a minor nuisance storm (like a coating). They still say it will change to rain late tonight, but I would anticipate poor flying conditions for this afternoon and evening.
Dec 8, 13, 12:03 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: The Phoenix Desert
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Originally Posted by iahphx
I'm just south of PHL right now, and it's coming down at over an inch an hour. NWS just issued a winter storm warning for the area. It was just supposed to be a minor nuisance storm (like a coating). They still say it will change to rain late tonight, but I would anticipate poor flying conditions for this afternoon and evening.
Dec 8, 13, 12:17 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Virginia
Posts: 1,558
NWS blows PHL forecast -- heavy snow today
PHL has a ground stop with heavy snow/freezing fog and 1/4 mile visibility. I live 60 miles west of DCA and its been snowing all day here too. Glad I'm off! Safe travels to those out there.
Dec 8, 13, 12:24 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: High Point, NC
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Posts: 9,171
A good day to be retired...
1/4 mile visibility will make a shambles of the Express operation.
Jim
1/4 mile visibility will make a shambles of the Express operation.
Jim
Dec 8, 13, 12:25 pm
#5
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Originally Posted by skitch23
Yeah, watching the pre-game for the Lions @ Eagles on tv and it is coming down so hard you can barely see the field.
A little sad that US Airways' last day as an independent company will probably be one of the most challenging in their history. This storm has come out of nowhere.
Dec 8, 13, 12:36 pm
#6
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: High Point, NC
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Snow is funny that way - a shift in the frontal position of 20-30 miles can make a big difference in how much snow a specific location will get.
Jim
Jim
Dec 8, 13, 12:49 pm
#7
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Originally Posted by BoeingBoy
Snow is funny that way - a shift in the frontal position of 20-30 miles can make a big difference in how much snow a specific location will get.
Jim
Jim
The airlines have gotten pretty good at preemptively cancelling flights in recent years. Here, nothing would have been cancelled in advance, so you're going to get a lot of stranded pax. We'll see how they handle it. Really good not to be travelling today.
Dec 8, 13, 1:15 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Phoenix, Arizona/Spokane, Wa
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I have been sitting in the club at PHL since 1030am. I was supposed to go out at 1145, all looked good, but then weather in DFW cancelled the flight. I was able to get on another flight later today to SAT, but it has really been coming down.
For a while you couldn't see the runway, or even more than 3 planes out from the club window. It does seem to be smaller flakes now, or maybe it is just wishful thinking!
At least the inbound from NAS did take off a few minutes ago, so my plane is on the way here.
I have never been looking forward to a flight on a smaller plane (for nearly 4 hours) than I have today. I really don't want to be stuck in PHL!
Update from C Club at 4pm - not currently snowing, plows are clearing taxiways. My inbound scheduled to land any minute, and it is a E190. Looks like some planes lining up to take off, all US Airways that I can see.
For a while you couldn't see the runway, or even more than 3 planes out from the club window. It does seem to be smaller flakes now, or maybe it is just wishful thinking!
At least the inbound from NAS did take off a few minutes ago, so my plane is on the way here.
I have never been looking forward to a flight on a smaller plane (for nearly 4 hours) than I have today. I really don't want to be stuck in PHL!
Update from C Club at 4pm - not currently snowing, plows are clearing taxiways. My inbound scheduled to land any minute, and it is a E190. Looks like some planes lining up to take off, all US Airways that I can see.
Last edited by JenniferNAz; Dec 8, 13 at 3:04 pm
Dec 8, 13, 2:34 pm
#9
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: TK*G (E+), AA OWS (Plat Pro), EY Silver (compted), IHG Plat
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Reporting live from A Club: airport virtually closed
No take off/landings.
But it is not snowing any longer - hope they will re-open any time soon.
Lounge is empty - I guess many folks would not make the connections.
My FRA flight already re-scheduled to 5.30pm.
Most TATL flights diverted to BOS/BDL/BGR.
UPDATE - 2 private jets just landed (at about 3.35pm), Virgin America A320 also just landed...
UPDATE 2 - aircraft started arriving but snow is not removed from the taxiways, so they cannot reach the terminal buildings
But it is not snowing any longer - hope they will re-open any time soon.
Lounge is empty - I guess many folks would not make the connections.
My FRA flight already re-scheduled to 5.30pm.
Most TATL flights diverted to BOS/BDL/BGR.
UPDATE - 2 private jets just landed (at about 3.35pm), Virgin America A320 also just landed...
UPDATE 2 - aircraft started arriving but snow is not removed from the taxiways, so they cannot reach the terminal buildings
Last edited by TPJ; Dec 8, 13 at 2:50 pm
Dec 8, 13, 2:43 pm
#10
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Originally Posted by TPJ
No take off/landings.
But it is not snowing any longer - hope they will re-open any time soon.
But it is not snowing any longer - hope they will re-open any time soon.
I pulled up the weather radar and it does look like there's more precip to the west, but I'm not a meteorologist and, even if I were one, it doesn't seem like that knowledge would help much in predicting the snow today!
Dec 8, 13, 4:26 pm
#11
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: CLT
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Originally Posted by BoeingBoy
A good day to be retired...
1/4 mile visibility will make a shambles of the Express operation.
Jim
1/4 mile visibility will make a shambles of the Express operation.
Jim
Dec 8, 13, 4:27 pm
#12
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: CLT
Programs: Choice Hotels/FFOCUS
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Originally Posted by GalleyWench
PHL has a ground stop with heavy snow/freezing fog and 1/4 mile visibility. I live 60 miles west of DCA and its been snowing all day here too. Glad I'm off! Safe travels to those out there.
Dec 8, 13, 5:02 pm
#13
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: Former long-time US GP; now AA dirt
Posts: 4,904
Originally Posted by BoeingBoy
Snow is funny that way - a shift in the frontal position of 20-30 miles can make a big difference in how much snow a specific location will get.
Jim
Jim
Not this time. The frontal position wasn't the problem. The forecasters did not predict the deformation zone forming today and completely blew the forecast for most of the Philly metro area.
Here's a great explanation of what happened.
Last edited by tommyleo; Dec 8, 13 at 5:24 pm
Dec 8, 13, 5:37 pm
#14
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Mostly DCA with a bit of SDF, DFW, and LAX
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My LAX-PHL (716, 8:25 a.m.) was canceled for tomorrow.
Question -- is there a special reservation line for DM Gold? I don't have my card w/ me. When I called the rebooking line, the automated system recognized me, but I've been on hold for 20 minutes now so thinking it might be better to HUACA if there's a better #... a PM would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
eta: 65 minutes and holding... any help would be great...
eta: 110 minutes... this is ugly
eta: well, disregard. got someone to find my card and read me the phone number... and it's the same number the flight notification email told me to call... which is the number i've been on hold with for 2 hours. oh well.
eta: final hold time was 121 minutes. agent was friendly. changed my LAX-PHL-DCA to LAX-PHX-DCA. Went from F seat to second-to-last row/middle-seat on long flight, but glad to get a flight.
Question -- is there a special reservation line for DM Gold? I don't have my card w/ me. When I called the rebooking line, the automated system recognized me, but I've been on hold for 20 minutes now so thinking it might be better to HUACA if there's a better #... a PM would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
eta: 65 minutes and holding... any help would be great...
eta: 110 minutes... this is ugly
eta: well, disregard. got someone to find my card and read me the phone number... and it's the same number the flight notification email told me to call... which is the number i've been on hold with for 2 hours. oh well.
eta: final hold time was 121 minutes. agent was friendly. changed my LAX-PHL-DCA to LAX-PHX-DCA. Went from F seat to second-to-last row/middle-seat on long flight, but glad to get a flight.
Last edited by platbrownguy; Dec 8, 13 at 7:21 pm
Dec 8, 13, 11:14 pm
#15
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: BOS
Programs: Marriott Titanium / LTG, HHonors Gold, JetBlue Mosaic, Nat'l Exec
Posts: 3,410
Big mess here in BOS -- lots of flights to PHL and DCA were axed. Have two relatives on the couch who were trying to fly BOS-DCA-DTW tonight but are now flying BOS-CLT-DTW tomorrow -- and by 4PM they were running out of seats for morning departures.
