RSW travelers brace for delays as winter storm hits east coast

LEE COUNTY, Fla. - A winter storm is headed toward the north and east coast, causing thousands of flight delays and cancellations across the country. Travelers at Southwest Florida International Airport are keeping a close eye on the weather.

• RELATED: Winter storm reroutes travelers to sunny Southwest Florida

Flights to destinations like Chicago have already been canceled. Carl Snyder, a traveler, said he's considering extending his stay in Florida.

“I've been debating if I want to extend my stay another couple days,” said Snyder.

Snyder splits his time between Ohio and Southwest Florida and has grown accustomed to planning his travel around winter weather.

“I'm going from 80 to zero. Maybe actually, it was five overnight. So that's why people think I'm funny when I have a jacket, but trust me, you need it back home,” said Snyder.

Other travelers preparing to head north are hoping to avoid the worst of the impending snowstorm.

“Not excited to shovel… Back to school. Maybe they'll cancel it, but we'll see hoping for a snow day,” said Maeve Cassidy and Elizabeth Delrosso.

For some families, rearranging flights has become necessary.

“We traveled down from up north. We all came together from Philly. And my family's flights all got canceled. They were going to be tomorrow, and it seems like that's impossible now, so they all rebooked for later today, flying back to Philly, and I'm flying back to New York today as well,” said Sam Giedzinski.

Officials at RSW have confirmed that while many flights are still operating, some delays are expected. They encourage travelers to check their airline's website for the latest updates.

“I made a joke earlier today that I'm trying to bring this weather back with me, but I don't think it's gonna work,” said Giedzinski.

The National Weather Service is providing minute-by-minute weather predictions to assist with departures and arrivals.