Appleton International Airport. (PHOTO: WTAQ News)
GREENVILLE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — As extreme cold and dangerous wind chills move into Northeast Wisconsin, many are wondering if this snap of severe weather will impact air travel.
It comes as morning lows could plummet to approximately -20 degrees both Friday and Saturday mornings, and daytime highs remaining below zero both days. Wind chills are expected to reach as low as -45 Friday morning and stay in the negative 20s and 30s through Saturday afternoon. It will be the most frigid air we’ve seen since 2019.
However, Appleton International Airport Director Abe Weber says travelers shouldn’t fret.
“We’re not looking for it to make a major impact. The aircraft do operate at very cold temperatures when they’re at altitude,” he said. “For us, we’re looking at making sure that the team members are warm, that the equipment is parked inside, making sure that it’s maintained so that we can service those aircraft when they are taking off and landing.”
Weber says crews do their best to make sure the de-icing process goes quickly and smoothly.
Another potential hiccup for flyers is the massive winter storm barreling toward a large swath of the United States, stretching all the way from New Mexico and Texas to parts of New England and the Deep South. Meteorologists say the storm will bring snow, sleet, freezing rain and bitter cold temperatures, which could completely coat roads, making for hazardous travel conditions; weigh down trees and power lines, triggering widespread power outages; and impact air travel in numerous major hubs.
Weber’s best advice is to download the mobile app for the airline you’re flying with. That way, you will receive alerts about travel disruptions and you can get accommodations, if needed.
January is a slow time at ATW, but Weber says as soon as February hits, things will ramp up.
“People get the cabin fever, they want to get out, they want to go somewhere warm, so we do see traffic numbers start trending up to really our peak in March,” he said.
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