Bad Weather In The U.S. Leaves Tourists Stranded At Cancun Airport 

Last Updated 3 years ago

A recent bout of unseasonable bad weather in the U.S. has grounded a number of planes and left tourists visiting Cancun stranded at Cancun International Airport. Dust storms, tornadoes, heavy rains, and even snow have been plaguing various states throughout the United States for the last few days and are going to continue for at least a few more. Not only is this unusual weather affecting domestic flights in the country but international flights too. 

The Yucatan Peninsula is dealing with some of its own bad weather in recent days as well, as a result of a tropical wave that sits just below the southeast end of the state of Quintana Roo. Cancun sits at the northeastern point of Quintana Roo, and although they won’t see any severe weather as a result of the tropical wave, their weather will be affected. The Mexican Caribbean city will be dealing with high temperatures over the next few days, stronger winds, and in some areas rain. 

For the areas of the Yucatan Peninsula that won’t be seeing rain, there is another weather phenomenon that may affect outdoor activities over the next few days. A Saharan dust cloud reached the Mexican Caribbean this past Friday and is expected to stick around until Tuesday. It will affect mainly the coast so it has the potential to pass through Cancun, and if it does tourists may want to stay inside in order to avoid the minor effects that the dust can cause.  

The “Dust of the Sahara,” as weather officials call it, is an annual weather phenomenon that typically reaches the Yucatan Peninsula during the summer when winds blow the dust in that direction. In order to reach the peninsula, not only does the air have to be blowing in the right direction but also at the right height as well. When both of these conditions are present the dust is able to move over land and water to reach this portion of Mexico. 

The weather that they are experiencing in the United States is an unexpected interference in travel plans all over the country and beyond but it is not expected to last. Still, it has already put a damper on some travelers’ plans, including many that were prepared to depart from Cancun Internation Airport on Friday. Eight flights that were scheduled to return to major U.S. cities were canceled. Cities that were affected include: 

• Baltimore 
• Chicago 
• Dallas 
• Denver 
• New York 
• San Francisco 

Cancun International Airport registers hundreds of flights every day and this past Friday, May 20 more than 500 were scheduled. A total of 258 of those flights were arrivals and 245 of them were departures. In addition to the canceled flights departing to the U.S., there were also a few domestic flights that were delayed. The delays of these flights were the result of a lack of crew and they included flights to Mexico City, Monterrey, and Tijuana.  

This is not the first time cancelations of flights departing and arriving to and from Cancun International Airport have occurred in recent weeks. Many of the recent cancelations have been due to a staff shortage but weather has also played a role in some of those. For an airport with so many scheduled daily flights, these cancelations can cause chaos at the airport. 

Cancun has welcomed millions of visitors this year already and will welcome millions over the next few months. Tourists visit the city for its spectacular beaches, crystal clear turquoise waters, exciting nightlife and so much more. With so many inbound and outbound flights scheduled every day it’s obvious that Cancun has enough to offer that it’s worth risking flight cancelations for.  

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