San Diego International flights rebound after ground stop from fog Monday morning
San Diego has been dealing with heavy fog all weekend while other parts of the country battled frigid temperatures and snowstorms, especially the Northeastern United States on Sunday.
The morning fog caused flight delays at San Diego International Airport Monday, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a ground stop around 8 a.m. due to low clouds. It lasted only an hour and a half, delayed 42 flights, and canceled at least one.
Well before 1 p.m., flights at SAN were business as usual.
“When woke up, it was about five inches and it was still coming down,” said Staci Williams after landing in San Diego from Newark, New Jersey. “And so, it’s interesting because I am a pastor, we had to cancel service, and it was a lot of things that was going on. And in the back of my mind, I was like, ‘I’m supposed to be flying out tomorrow.’”
Williams brought some of her best friends to town to help her celebrate her birthday, including Pamela Sallie.
“When I got here, I’m gagging because I am layered up because it’s freezing in New Jersey,” Sallie said. “So, I just have to adjust. But that’s what we do, especially when we get to celebrate a birthday!”
They were fully prepared for their 9:30 a.m. flight to get delayed and postpone the festivities, but it didn’t.
“I don’t know if it was the time,” Williams said. “I don’t know if it’s because it’s my birthday. I don’t know, but, you know, it just all kind of worked.”
Airlines advise booking early flights to lower your odds of being delayed and having more options to rebook if you do.
Williams knows the next holiday rush is coming up. By this Friday when she flies home, San Diego International will be in its next holiday surge.
If weather delays are involved, there’s not much she or any travelers can do besides plan.
“This is the holiday season,” Williams said. “And if you can’t pack your patience, stay at home.”
San Diego will be dealing with more fog each morning, so travelers should prepare for potentially even more ground stops.
Departure and arrival updates are available at www.san.org/arrivals.
