TAMPA, Fla — Thousands of flights were canceled or delayed across the country Saturday, leaving hundreds of passengers at Tampa International Airport stranded and looking for another way to get home.
Ted Garza and Danna Wiepking were just two of hundreds at Tampa International alone on Saturday, trying to figure out their plans home.
WATCH: Winter storm causes hundreds of flight delays, cancellations at Tampa International Airport
"We kind of ran into bad timing with the storm that way," says Wiepking, who is flying back to Denver.
Around 40 states will feel the effects of the winter storm rolling across the country right now.
Major delays hit Chicago Midway and O'Hare airports, as well as other big airline hubs like Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Delays there can directly impact flights here.
The Garza family's cruise was cut short as they hoped to make it home to Dallas.
"In Dallas, you don't normally worry about that either, but you know, 2001 we had the bad storm, and they said this is going to be just as bad as that," Garza said.
For Wiepking's flight to Denver, she was worried about the plane being able to get to Tampa.
"It's coming in from Cincinnati, so I don't know if that would be affected by this storm or not, but that flight is in the air, so we're hopeful that everything's going to go well," she said.
More winter weather expected over the weekend could lead to more delays and cancellations. Travelers are advised to check with their airline provider to see if flights are delayed or canceled during what's expected to be a very busy travel weekend across the country.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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