Holiday travel woes strike Sea-Tac Airport

As of Wednesday morning, 27 flights were canceled at Sea-Tac Airport, and 51 flights were delayed. Hundreds of flights have been canceled so far this week.

Cold winter weather is making it a little harder for people to travel on time this holiday season, but crews at Sea-Tac Airport are prepared.

Airport spokesperson Perry Cooper says crews have been out in the airfield making sure runways are clear for aircraft to land and take off safely.

“We've got a lot of folks that are going through the airport right now, so before you get to the airport, check in, (and) triple check to see whether or not your flight has been affected in one way or another," Cooper said.

Travelers with morning flights should give themselves an additional 30–45 minutes in case of long lines.

Cooper says Thursday and Friday before Christmas will be heavy travel days this year.

If you’re looking for something to do while you wait for your flight, Cooper says to check out the newly reopened Central Terminal, which has two new restaurants, rocking chairs, and some Little Free Libraries.

Sea-Tac's holiday travel woes are part of a national strain at airports. NPR reports that about 113 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home for the holidays. At the same time an arctic freeze is hitting the Great Lakes region, as well as the central and southern plains. A total of 26 states in the eastern United States and along the Gulf Coast are expected to get hit with record-breaking low temps and coastal flooding.