ORLANDO, Fla. – As temperatures in the northeast have dipped into the freezing zone, causing white-out conditions and dangerous snow, travelers at Orlando International Airport are trying to figure out how they can return home from Central Florida.
More than 30 flights have been canceled from Orlando International Airport Friday in addition to the 160 flights canceled on Thursday.
As of 7:30 p.m. Friday, there were 47 cancellations and 97 delays at OIA. Officials said 29 of the cancellations were arrivals and the remaining 18 were departures with all the flights coming from or going to the Midwest and Northeast.
The drop in temperatures forced airport workers to de-ice the planes at the airport.
"It's frustrating," said Mike Aponte, from Massachusetts. "We have to find a way to get back home and a place to stay."
"Kind of shocked," added Tom Saturno, whose flight to Philadelphia was canceled Thursday morning. "We were only three minutes away from the airport when we got the notification on our phone."
Saturno and his wife planned on spending their vacation in Puerto Rico, but Hurricane Maria changed those plans and now they're wrapping up a trip in Orlando.
The trip is lasting a little bit longer than anticipated since they can't get back to Philadelphia.
"When we got in, there was a very big line of people," Saturno said. "It looked like it was an hour or so of people trying to make new reservations, people sleeping on airport floors. It was a mess."
Airport leaders are reminding everyone to check with their airlines before coming to the airport, just to make sure their flight is still on schedule. Travelers are also urged to re-book their flight prior to arriving at the airport.