Alaska Airlines passengers flying into or out of Anchorage Wednesday afternoon found themselves waiting a few extra hours due to a large winter storm which pummeled the Pacific Northwest with more than a foot of snow in places.
A few evening flights to Seattle were delayed. None were cancelled.
“I’m glad I’m getting away for a little bit,” said Jeffrey Akmata, who was on his way to catch a Caribbean Sea cruise out of Miami, “I was supposed to leave at 4:30 pm originally, and leaving at 6:30 pm right now.”
Christopher Schumacher had no idea cities down south were experiencing such nasty weather. He just spent eight months working on board theU.S. Coast Guardicebreaker Healy, conducting research missions and a fuel delivery to the community of Nome.
“I just came from the Arctic so this weather ain’t nothing,” he said.
Schumacher was on his way to visit family in Seattle and had to wait an extra two hours for his flight.
“The good thing is when I came through I saw there was a McDonalds,” he said, “I haven’t had fast food in months.”
According to Alaska Airlines spokesperson Bobbie Egan, the carrier cancelled 52 flights nationwide, affecting about 3,700 passengers. Most were Horizon Airlines regional flights in the Pacific Northwest, Egan said.
Just a couple were jets flying scheduled to fly to or from Alaska.
