Flying into Dulles on evening of Jan 6

[Anonymous]

I'm helping a kid move into their college dorm 12 hours from here and then taking a short flight home on Monday night. Help me gauge the odds that Dulles is open for business at 9pm on Monday. I have to be in the office on Tuesday and I can't get the move-in done in time to beat the storm's arrival here on Sunday.

Would 3-6inches close Dulles or delay a significant number of short flights? 6+ inches? The flight will be departing from a state that's very cold but not projected to be impacted by the storm.

[Anonymous]

No one knows. This depends on so many factors. Sure the departing city may not be affected but where the actual plane is coming from may be. Also, the crew may be stuck somewhere. So the answer is maybe. No one knows until it happens.

[Anonymous]

Where are you now? Are you driving dorm stuff to kid school? Or flying there and back?
Can't kid finish moving in if you leave Sunday? This is college.

[Anonymous]

How are you planning on getting home from Dulles even if you eventually get there? Metro is on surface rail and that can have issues. So does driving.

[Anonymous]

Dulles has plenty of plows and lots of de-icing trucks.

There might be some delays, esp as planes get de-iced, but I think mainline flights on major carriers will be fine. International flights likely are lowest risk, except for smaller aircraft (CRJ or E-170 - 50-75 seat aircraft) between US and Canada. Porter's Dash-8 route to/from YTz could easily get cancelled.

The "regional" or "express" flights are a bigger risk for delays or cancellations. Smaller airports sometimes are less able to deal with snow or have limited de-icing capability.

[Anonymous]

Thanks PPs. I've debated trying to get on the road tomorrow afternoon and drop my kid and all their stuff and jump on an early Sunday flight. I think I'm going to chance my original itinerary, flying into Dulles at 9pm on 1/6. I hope by then the storm will be done and flights will be going. Worst case scenario I spend the night in a hotel and hopefully get out Tuesday AM.

Fwiw I'm from the Northeast and I've been assuming that an Uber will be able to traverse the Beltway by 9pm on Monday night... but maybe that's overly optimistic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PPs. I've debated trying to get on the road tomorrow afternoon and drop my kid and all their stuff and jump on an early Sunday flight. I think I'm going to chance my original itinerary, flying into Dulles at 9pm on 1/6. I hope by then the storm will be done and flights will be going. Worst case scenario I spend the night in a hotel and hopefully get out Tuesday AM.

Fwiw I'm from the Northeast and I've been assuming that an Uber will be able to traverse the Beltway by 9pm on Monday night... but maybe that's overly optimistic?

It is overly optimistic if we get more than 8 inches or so. And are you moving your kid in, like this is their first semester? Or just going back after winter break? If the latter, he should go himself to save you the hassle and danger of traveling in the storm. He's an adult, he will get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PPs. I've debated trying to get on the road tomorrow afternoon and drop my kid and all their stuff and jump on an early Sunday flight. I think I'm going to chance my original itinerary, flying into Dulles at 9pm on 1/6. I hope by then the storm will be done and flights will be going. Worst case scenario I spend the night in a hotel and hopefully get out Tuesday AM.

Fwiw I'm from the Northeast and I've been assuming that an Uber will be able to traverse the Beltway by 9pm on Monday night... but maybe that's overly optimistic?

It is overly optimistic if we get more than 8 inches or so. And are you moving your kid in, like this is their first semester? Or just going back after winter break? If the latter, he should go himself to save you the hassle and danger of traveling in the storm. He's an adult, he will get it.

Moving in after a semester abroad. I've been watching the forecasts and while I know there's some chance of a bigger storm, most estimates seem to settle around 6 inches from Sunday night onward. There aren't a lot of flight options and the only earlier alternative would bring me into Dulles at 9pm on Sunday instead of Monday. That seems potentially worse..ugh, I hate this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PPs. I've debated trying to get on the road tomorrow afternoon and drop my kid and all their stuff and jump on an early Sunday flight. I think I'm going to chance my original itinerary, flying into Dulles at 9pm on 1/6. I hope by then the storm will be done and flights will be going. Worst case scenario I spend the night in a hotel and hopefully get out Tuesday AM.

Fwiw I'm from the Northeast and I've been assuming that an Uber will be able to traverse the Beltway by 9pm on Monday night... but maybe that's overly optimistic?

It is overly optimistic if we get more than 8 inches or so. And are you moving your kid in, like this is their first semester? Or just going back after winter break? If the latter, he should go himself to save you the hassle and danger of traveling in the storm. He's an adult, he will get it.

Moving in after a semester abroad. I've been watching the forecasts and while I know there's some chance of a bigger storm, most estimates seem to settle around 6 inches from Sunday night onward. There aren't a lot of flight options and the only earlier alternative would bring me into Dulles at 9pm on Sunday instead of Monday. That seems potentially worse..ugh, I hate this.

Actually, 9 pm Sunday would be a better option. Snow is not supposed to start until late Sunday night.

[Anonymous]

As ridiculous as I think the closings and inability to drive here are, I think you have slim odds of getting to Dulles Sunday evening bc I think the flights will be so backed up by that point. Also, is your route one where it will have come from iAd earlier in the day? If you can tell us the college airport, we might have suggestions. I’d even try to fly to Philly or somewhere late afternoon Monday and rent a car for the rest of the way

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PPs. I've debated trying to get on the road tomorrow afternoon and drop my kid and all their stuff and jump on an early Sunday flight. I think I'm going to chance my original itinerary, flying into Dulles at 9pm on 1/6. I hope by then the storm will be done and flights will be going. Worst case scenario I spend the night in a hotel and hopefully get out Tuesday AM.

Fwiw I'm from the Northeast and I've been assuming that an Uber will be able to traverse the Beltway by 9pm on Monday night... but maybe that's overly optimistic?

It is overly optimistic if we get more than 8 inches or so. And are you moving your kid in, like this is their first semester? Or just going back after winter break? If the latter, he should go himself to save you the hassle and danger of traveling in the storm. He's an adult, he will get it.

Moving in after a semester abroad. I've been watching the forecasts and while I know there's some chance of a bigger storm, most estimates seem to settle around 6 inches from Sunday night onward. There aren't a lot of flight options and the only earlier alternative would bring me into Dulles at 9pm on Sunday instead of Monday. That seems potentially worse..ugh, I hate this.

Actually, 9 pm Sunday would be a better option. Snow is not supposed to start until late Sunday night.

OP here, thanks very much to the PP. I hadn't tracked that the timing of the storm had been pushed back to late night Sunday/early morning Monday. I saw this post as I was worrying in the middle of the night and changed my plans. We'll leave this afternoon, split the drive in two, arrive midday tomorrow to drop my DS and his stuff. I'm now on the 7pm flight out on Sunday night. I hope this was the right move. I recently had an epic travel disaster (24+ delays on both ends of an international flight, much of it at the airports) and I have some PTSD about travel drama.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like the right move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PPs. I've debated trying to get on the road tomorrow afternoon and drop my kid and all their stuff and jump on an early Sunday flight. I think I'm going to chance my original itinerary, flying into Dulles at 9pm on 1/6. I hope by then the storm will be done and flights will be going. Worst case scenario I spend the night in a hotel and hopefully get out Tuesday AM.

Fwiw I'm from the Northeast and I've been assuming that an Uber will be able to traverse the Beltway by 9pm on Monday night... but maybe that's overly optimistic?

It is overly optimistic if we get more than 8 inches or so. And are you moving your kid in, like this is their first semester? Or just going back after winter break? If the latter, he should go himself to save you the hassle and danger of traveling in the storm. He's an adult, he will get it.

Moving in after a semester abroad. I've been watching the forecasts and while I know there's some chance of a bigger storm, most estimates seem to settle around 6 inches from Sunday night onward. There aren't a lot of flight options and the only earlier alternative would bring me into Dulles at 9pm on Sunday instead of Monday. That seems potentially worse..ugh, I hate this.

Actually, 9 pm Sunday would be a better option. Snow is not supposed to start until late Sunday night.

Sounds like us. We haven't been able to take an international flight recently without it being cancelled for 24 hours or more. I arrange my laundry for an extra days' clothing at least.

OP here, thanks very much to the PP. I hadn't tracked that the timing of the storm had been pushed back to late night Sunday/early morning Monday. I saw this post as I was worrying in the middle of the night and changed my plans. We'll leave this afternoon, split the drive in two, arrive midday tomorrow to drop my DS and his stuff. I'm now on the 7pm flight out on Sunday night. I hope this was the right move. I recently had an epic travel disaster (24+ delays on both ends of an international flight, much of it at the airports) and I have some PTSD about travel drama.

Sounds like us. We haven't been able to take an international flight recently without it being cancelled for 24 hours or more. I arrange my laundry for an extra days' clothing at least.

Whether your plan works depends on where your plane is coming from. The bad weather will hit the Midwest before this area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PPs. I've debated trying to get on the road tomorrow afternoon and drop my kid and all their stuff and jump on an early Sunday flight. I think I'm going to chance my original itinerary, flying into Dulles at 9pm on 1/6. I hope by then the storm will be done and flights will be going. Worst case scenario I spend the night in a hotel and hopefully get out Tuesday AM.

Fwiw I'm from the Northeast and I've been assuming that an Uber will be able to traverse the Beltway by 9pm on Monday night... but maybe that's overly optimistic?

If we really get more than a few inches you will not be able to get an Uber. It’s laughable that you think this is a possibility.

[Anonymous]

Like many others, I moved here from the northeast. One inch of snow shuts down schools here. Your updated plan is a smart one.