Dense fog disrupts flights at Charlotte Douglas International Airport

FlightAware, a real-time flight tracking service, recorded widespread delays at Charlotte Douglas by mid-morning. By noon, there were reports of 78 flight delays and one cancellation. The delays affected various airlines including American Airlines and United Airlines. Notably, Frontier Airlines Flight F94353 from Philadelphia was canceled.

The Meteorological Aerodrome Report (METAR) indicated extremely poor visibility early in the morning. At 6:33 a.m., visibility was only a quarter mile, worsening to an eighth of a mile by 7:07 a.m., classified as Low IFR conditions with ceilings below 500 feet or visibility under one mile.

Visibility started improving slightly between 7:52 and 8:27 a.m., reaching half a mile by 8:00 a.m., though still limited. Near 9:00 a.m., it improved to four miles and further to ten miles by 10:00 local time.

The National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC issued an alert at 7:06 a.m., warning residents about dense fog until 9:15 a.m. This alert covered Cleveland, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Cherokee, York, Union, and Chester counties as reported by The Charlotte Observer.

NWS advised motorists encountering fog banks could experience sudden reductions in visibility to under one-quarter mile leading to hazardous driving conditions. Drivers were urged to slow down, maintain space between vehicles, and use low-beam headlights until the fog lifted around 9:00 a.m.