Winter storm: How Orlando airport is preparing for flight delays, cancellations, stranded passengers

Orlando Weather Forecast: Tracking record warmth then major cold, when it hits your town

FOX 35 Storm Team Senior Meteorologist Noah Bergren is tracking record warmth Sunday afternoon followed by a drastic drop to harshly colder weather by Tuesday next week!

ORLANDO, Fla. - Though Central Florida isn't in the direct path of a winter storm expected this weekend, Orlando International Airport is setting up some precautions for travelers. 

Renderings of the changes coming to Orlando International Airport's Terminals A and B. (Courtesy: MCO)

What we know:

While Florida stays on the warm side with highs near 80° Saturday and in the 70s on Sunday, a potentially significant winter storm is setting up to disrupt travel across much of the Southeast late Saturday into Sunday. Impacts could linger into Monday.

The National Weather Service reported scattered snow squalls will create dangerous travel from the interior Northeast to northern/central New England through Friday and dangerously cold Arctic air will spill out over the Great Plains and Eastern U.S through the weekend. 

Orlando International Airport (MCO) is offering measures to make passengers as comfortable as possible while they await their flights. 

The airport's concessions team is notified about increased traffic and will be ready with appropriate staffing, supplies and materials. In addition, janitorial services are prepared for more frequent cleaning and sanitation around the terminal, an airport spokesperson said. 

Traveling? Here's what areas are affected by the winter storm

If you’re flying out of Orlando on Sunday and Monday, or potentially through Tuesday, the weather in Central Florida won’t be the issue. However, your destination or connection might be. 

Major hubs, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, Memphis, Louisville, Raleigh, Durham, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and New York are all in the zone for snow or ice.

Ice is especially disruptive for aviation, and southern airports have limited equipment and experience handling significant winter weather.

The heaviest snow across the Southern Plains is expected between Interstates 70 and 40, while icing is the primary concern across Interstates 40, 20 and even parts of Interstate 10 in the Southeast, FOX Weather said. 

When shouldn't you fly? 

Sunday and Monday are the highest risk days for flight delays and cancellations, particularly for early morning departures and connecting flights through Southern hubs. 

Even after the storm clears, lingering power outages are possible if ice accumulations reach one to three inches, which can bring down trees and power lines and complicate travel time recovery.

According to the Aviation Weather Center, flights impacted by the winter storm are expected to last through Monday, Jan. 26. Impacts can include moderate to greater turbulence, icing impacting takeoff and low visibility in heavy snow, freezing rain and sleet. 

Read more: What to do if your flight gets canceled due to winter storms

Major airlines have issued travel waivers for flights this weekend across most of the eastern two-thirds of the country ahead of the winter storm. American, Delta, United and Southwest, have all issued expansive travel waivers for dozens of airports across the country beginning Friday.  JetBlue and Spirit have issued similar waivers. Hundreds of flight cancellations are expected this weekend. 

What's next:

More information about the winter storm can be found on fox35orlando.com/weather.