Can planes fly in a blizzard?

Just because there is winter weather outside, it doesn't mean that planes will suddenly stop flying. As we've discussed above, snow, ice, and bad weather do not hinder a flight. It remains safe to fly as long as precautious and pilot training are both up to date.



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The type of weather that delays and cancels flights is called inclement weather. Inclement weather is categorized as thunderstorms, snowstorms, wind shear, icing, and fog.

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What can cause a cancellation? Flights may be canceled due to wind, precipitation, fog or low visibility, lightning, low clouds, or storms.

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What happens when en route flights encounter thunderstorms? Jet aircraft can safely fly over thunderstorms only if their flight altitude is well above the turbulent cloud tops. The most intense and turbulent storms are often the tallest storms, so en route flights always seek to go around them.

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As we've discussed above, snow, ice, and bad weather do not hinder a flight. It remains safe to fly as long as precautious and pilot training are both up to date.

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Just enter your flight number, airport and departure date in the FlightAware or FlightStats app. The system allows you to check if my flight is cancelled. When will I know if my flight is cancelled? Usually, air carriers notify their passengers about flight cancellations.

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No, tornadoes do not affect commercial airplanes flying over or near the tornado zone. Tornadoes are typically too small and localized to have an effect on a large aircraft like a commercial airliner.

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The most intense and turbulent storms are often the tallest storms, so en route flights always seek to go around them. If a busy jet route becomes blocked by intense thunderstorms, traffic will re-route into the neighboring airspace, which can become overcrowded if the flow is not managed (see animation).

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There is no single maximum wind speed that cancels flights, as it depends on the direction of wind and phase of flight. A crosswind above about 40mph and a tailwind above 10mph can start to cause problems and stop commercial jets from taking off and landing.

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