Flights delayed, events canceled due to weather in South Florida – NBC 6 South Florida

December 18, 2023December 18, 2023 Admin

From travel to entertainment, the stormy conditions in South Florida put a damper on many people’s plans.

The weekend was a wash for anyone planning to visit a fun outdoor event like Christmas Wonderland, Santa’s Enchanted Forest, or the Winter Festival at The Berry Farms.

While many flights and cruises took off without a hitch, the wet weather also brought delays and cancellations to Miami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, and even PortMiami.

Here’s a breakdown of how the weather impacted events and travel plans across Miami-Dade and Broward:

Flights and airports

Both Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport saw delays and cancellations this weekend — thanks in part to the weather.

On Saturday, 582 flights were delayed but only one was canceled at MIA. At FLL, 383 were delayed and one was canceled.

As of Sunday evening, 381 flights had been delayed at MIA and three had been canceled. Compare that to the 357 delayed and 4 canceled at FLL.

Note that not all of these flights were delayed or canceled due to weather. We have not determined exactly how many of the affected flights were caused directly by the weather conditions.

PortMiami

On Sunday, PortMiami announced a delay in embarkation due to recent weather conditions.

According to a social media post, PortMiami recommends contacting your cruise line for instructions and more information.

Christmas Wonderland and Santa’s Enchanted Forest

Now that the weather outside is no longer frightful, Christmas is back in full swing after closures at both Christmas Wonderland and Santa’s Enchanted Forest.

After being closed on Saturday, both attractions reopened on Sunday, Dec. 17 at 5 pm.

Christmas Wonderland also announced that they will be open Monday, Dec. 18 with a special $29 deal for Miami-Dade County residents.

Winterfest Boat Parade

The Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade was scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 16, but was unfortunately canceled due to unprecedented weather conditions.

Under the guidance and advisement of the United States Coast Guard and other relevant agencies, the heavy winds made for unsafe boating conditions.

“The safety and well-being of our participants and spectators are of utmost importance to us,” reads a statement from the event’s website. “The inclement weather conditions, beyond our control, make it impossible to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.”

The RINK at The Loop

Over in Fort Lauderdale Beach, the skating rink at The Loop was closed for the weekend due to the inclement weather.

“Who knew Mother Nature could be such a Grinch?” reads an Instagram post from The Loop.

The post announced that the RINK would be closed on Friday, Dec. 15, and Saturday, Dec. 16.

Another update posted Sunday initially said the RINK would be reopened. But the post was later edited to say that due to damage to the rink, they would be closed yet again.

According to the latest update, the RINK at The Loop will be open again on Monday at 3 pm.