Mid-Atlantic snow cancels nearly 100 flights at TIA

A snowstorm pounding the Mid-Atlantic and snarling air traffic forced the cancellation of nearly 100 flights to and from Tampa International Airport by late tonight.

That is more cancellations than airport officials remember, even when a hurricane threatened, said Brenda Geoghagan, airport spokeswoman.

The weather problems may continue into Thursday morning as airlines cancel morning flights, she said.

Snow closed the Washington Dulles International Airport until at least 6 a.m. Thursday and the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport until 7 a.m. All flights from Tampa International Airport to the Washington airports were cancelled even before the airport closed.As of midmorning today, 42 flights set to depart the Tampa airport were cancelled or delayed as were 39 arrivals.

The pounding snowstorm is mainly affecting flights to and from the Washington, New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia airports.

By mid-morning, all scheduled flights to New York and Newark, N.J., were cancelled, as were flights coming to Tampa. All flights to Philadelphia have been scrubbed. All flights to Boston and Baltimore are also grounded, though some incoming flights were arriving from Boston.

For folks in West Central Florida, the day looks to be windy and chilly as cold air continues to pour over the region.

With a brisk wind of 12 to 15 mph, the wind chill temperatures took until 9 a.m. to climb out of the 30s around Tampa and remained below 50 degrees by early afternoon.

And temperatures aren't going to soar during the day, with the high forecast to top out in the middle or low 50s, about 15 degrees below normal.

The wind, while maybe hitting gusts of 25 mph early in the day, should diminish later. That will set up a cold night as winds calm and cold air settles in under clear skies.

The National Weather Service has a freeze watch up for Pasco County north, with forecasters saying temperatures should quickly drop after sundown. Temperatures should be near freezing by midnight and could fall to the high 20s by dawn in normally colder locations.

The weather service intends to change the freeze watch to a warning later today and extend it into eastern Hillsborough and part of Polk County.

That would set off another round of pumping by berry farmers, but nothing like during an 11-day January freeze, when hundreds of wells went dry and sinkholes opened around Plant City.

The aquifer levels have recovered since that stretch of freezing nights, and forecasters expect only one night of freezing temperatures in Hillsborough.

Though groundwater levels will drop, they are expected to recover quickly.

The cold night prompted counties in the Tampa Bay area to open shelters tonight. Most will open between 6 and 6:30 p.m. and close at 6 a.m. Thursday.

Shelters in Pinellas County open for adult men and women are:

• St. Timothy's Lutheran Church, 812 E. Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs; capacity of 50.

• St. Cecelia Catholic Church, 820 Jasmine Way, Clearwater; capacity of 100.

• The Turning Point, 1801 Fifth Ave. N., St. Petersburg; capacity of 25.

• Salvation Army, 1400 Fourth St. S., St. Petersburg; capacity of 25.

• Boys & Girls Club of the Suncoast, 7790 61st St. N., Pinellas Park; capacity of 300.

These shelters are for families with children:

• First United Methodist Church of Clearwater, 411 Turner St.; capacity of two families.

• Northwest Presbyterian Church, 6330 54th Ave. N., St. Petersburg; capacity of four families.

• Northside Baptist Church, 6000 38th Ave. N., St. Petersburg; capacity of 10 families.

• American Church of the Beatitudes, 2812 Eighth St. N., St Petersburg; capacity of four families.

• Peace Memorial Presbyterian Church, 110 S. Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater; will serve as a backup shelter.

Shelters in Pasco County are:

• Impact Family Church, 6416 Delaware Ave., New Port Richey

• Holy Ground Homeless Shelter, 8835 Denton Ave., Hudson

For shelter information in eastern Pasco, call the Rev. Tim Mitchell at (813) 810-8670.