Some flights in and out of Dayton International Airport are canceled as some parts of the country brace for heavy snow.
RELATED: Northeast storm already causing hundreds of flight delays
On Tuesday morning, several departures to east coast airports from Dayton International Airport had been cancelled. Flights from American Airlines, Delta, and United to Washington D.C., New York, Philadelphia, and Newark were all listed as cancelled, according to the Dayton International Airport’s website.
Arrivals from those same airports to Dayton are also listed as cancelled.
Travelers Tyler Wood of North Berwick Maine's flight was diverted to Dayton, and now he's is hoping to make a mad dash on the road to the East Coast before the storm hits.
"Took off from Orlando to Milwaukee, on a connecting flight to Boston. It was kind of the last shot to get to the northeast for the next three to four days is what they're saying,” Wood said.
RELATED: Check your flight on WHIO’s interactive flight delay map before heading out
Wood and Julie Doran of Boston made a fast friendship today, after meeting for the first time on their flight. They'd already tried beating the storm by cutting their trips short in Florida. When that didn't work, they were the only ones brave enough to get off the plane in Dayton this morning to try to beat the storm home by car.
"It's incredibly frustrating and I really just want to get home, and I know it's going to be much faster and cheaper to just drive the 12 hours, as opposed to sit around and wait, sleep at the airport, get a hotel, wait three days, that sort of thing," Doran said.
Predictions call for up to 24 inches of snow to fall on the East Coast.
"I was originally trying to get into Manchester, New Hampshire, and they don't shut down for anything so we'll have to see. I guess the storm is going to be a whopper," Wood said.
Dayton airport officials said they start preparing for wintry weather in October. They will work around the clock tonight to be ready when the storm hits here.
"Of course we want to keep the walkways and the taxiways and the runways clear. Those are probably our initial things we want to make sure happen," said Linda Hughes, spokeswoman.
As for Wood and Doran, they are just hoping for clear roads and a little luck.
"We're going to drive fast," Doran said.
"I think we can get ahead of it. It's what I'm banking on so we'll roll the dice and see what happens," Wood said.
Travelers need to make sure they check in with their airline websites to see if their flights have been delayed or canceled, Hughes said.
About the Author