As you might expect, the weather can severely impact aircraft operations.
Extreme cases of weather, such as hurricanes, are obvious cases of how weather can influence air travel. However, did you know that even normal weather occurrences can affect flights, as well?
Low clouds, fog, and rain can hinder visibility around an airport. Thunderstorms and lightning can cause disruptions to flight schedules, flights to get re-routed, or even stop ground operations altogether. Even wind speed and direction can dictate which runways are in use, and can affect flight paths used.
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Though these weather occurrences have the ability to keep you grounded, it’s extremely difficult to plan for them in advance. Even with everything we know about predicting weather, we’re still not able to predict future weather patterns with complete accuracy.
Besides, you’ll find that modern airports are well-equipped to work with technology to minimize disruptions caused by weather.
So while your flight might get delayed, there’s very little chance that the airport will close completely due to weather.
