Lisa Zwayer's frustration reached its peak Wednesday at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.
As she returned to Texas after a holiday visit in Ohio, Zwayer's flight to Killeen was pushed from 2:50 p.m. Christmas Day to 7:55 a.m. Wednesday and then 7 a.m. today.Her family decided to rent a Toyota Camry for $255 and drive to Killeen."Not a good morning for us," Zwayer said Wednesday as her husband and three kids -- ages 5, 2 and three months -- headed home in the car.About 1,000 other travelers had their own headaches, spending the night at the airport after snow and freezing temperatures on Christmas Day caused officials to cancel 415 flights.Airport police reported one arrest related to holiday unhappiness Tuesday -- a 26-year-old woman who was among passengers who became "irate due to a canceled flight" at the Spirit Airlines counter.When she refused to move away from the counter, police were called. An officer reported that she was asked to move four times, and when she "stated she would not move," she was arrested for interference with a public servant.More flights were canceled Wednesday."DFW personnel provided cots, blankets, kits and other comforts for overnight passengers," airport spokesman David Magaña said in an email Wednesday morning.Matt Miller, a spokesman for American Airlines, said the carrier, along with American Eagle, had canceled 350 flights into and out of DFW by 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. With freezing temperatures most of the day, aircraft needed to be de-iced, causing more delays.Rebooking the hundreds of passengers whose flights were canceled on Christmas may take a while."Planes are very full this week, more full than usual, and we're working to reaccommodate folks as quickly as we can," Miller said.The Zwayer family stayed at a hotel after getting help from airport officials."The airport help desk personnel were more than polite and helpful," Lisa Zwayer said Wednesday in an email. "Even with baby formula."American also canceled 150 flights at Chicago and New York airports as the same storm system that blanketed North Texas with snow affected operations in those cities, Miller said.In North Texas, the temperature dipped to 22 degrees Wednesday morning, with wind chills in the single digits.Several cities closed their offices or delayed opening.Freeways and streets were mostly free of ice throughout Christmas Day, but conditions worsened as temperatures fell. Dozens of wrecks were reported Tuesday night.The snow ended around 5 p.m. Tuesday. Officially, 0.4 inch of snow and 1.35 inches of rain were recorded at DFW Airport.Much higher snowfall totals were recorded elsewhere, with 6 inches around Sherman.Another low of 22 is forecast for this morning followed by a high of 48, weather service meteorologist Joe Harris said."We'll warm up for the next several days before another front comes in on Friday with more lows in the 20s over the weekend. We get back to normal on Monday," he said, noting a 20 percent chance of rain Sunday night through New Year's Day.The Zwayers just gave up trying to fly home to Killeen on Wednesday."We never picked up the tickets," Zwayer said. "Due to wanting to just get home."They made it home Wednesday afternoon.Staff writer Steve Campbell contributed to this report.Domingo Ramirez Jr., 817-390-7763Twitter: @mingoramirezjrAndrea Ahles, 817-390-7631Twitter: @Sky Talk
White Christmas in DFW turns to black ice
White Christmas events in North Texas
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