‘Ripple effect’ | Nationwide cold blast will impact travelers in Houston

HOUSTON — The Texas freeze is coming at one of the busiest travel times of the year.

Millions will take to the air and roadways over the next few days into the Christmas weekend.

As folks take to their choice of travel, flexibility and patience will be key to making it through this busy travel season.

Whether you’re flying in or out of Houston or packing the car for a holiday road trip, the arctic blast is at the top of many minds.

“I’m not happy about that. I thought I was escaping the cold,” airport traveler Ikenna Ekeanyanwu said.

“I’m going to hit the road so I’m definitely taking extra precautions,” JC González, who is driving to his destination for Christmas, said.

Around 140,000 people are expected to travel through George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Thursday and Friday. Approximately 40,000 travelers will be passing through Hobby Airport on those same days.

“There’s a lot of people trying to make that Christmas vacation so a lot of people in the terminal,” Director of Communications for Houston Airports Augusto Bernal said. “So again, that’s another reason to come early to the airport.”

Some travelers have already experienced some issues.

“The lines haven’t been bad but our flight was delayed,” Gennifer Raney said.

Despite no expectation of snow or ice expected in the Houston area, some weather issues in other parts of the country could have a ripple effect here.

“It’s a network of flights, so there’s going to be a ripple effect across the country, so expect some delays. There’s going to be some cancellations so it’s really important to check the status of your flight before coming to the airport or even before picking up a loved one,” Bernal said.