ASHWAUBENON (NBC 26) — The fog around Northeast Wisconsin is so dense, it’s like a wall. And for that very reason, flights aren’t risking landing in these conditions. That’s also leaving many travelers around the region stranded.
- Dense fog has created near-zero visibility, resulting in widespread flight cancellations and leaving many travelers stranded.
- Charlie Stevenson is stranded at the airport, awaiting his girlfriend whose flight from Chicago was canceled due to the hazardous fog conditions.
- Both Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport and Appleton International Airport airports are experiencing significant disruptions, with multiple arriving and departing flights canceled or delayed because of the fog.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
The fog here is so thick, it’s like a wall. And for that very reason, flights aren’t risking landing in these conditions. That’s also leaving many travelers around the region stranded.
I met Charlie Stevenson, a stranded traveler, who told me, “Looks like I’m gonna be here for another couple hours.” I found him sitting alone in the quiet terminal. He wasn’t flying; he was waiting for a girlfriend. “She could have stayed in Chicago and flown in tomorrow, but there’s, you know, another 400 miles of driving for me, so,” he explained.
Her scheduled arrival was 10:08 this morning. “I was worried because I was running late,” he said. “I got here about 10:20 and then things went downhill from there.”
Stevenson is now playing the waiting game, as are many travelers around the region. Even one of our camera guys, Joey, had his flight back to Green Bay canceled.
The fog is also affecting operations at Appleton International Airport. As of 5 p.m. Central Time, four arriving flights had been canceled at Austin Straubel and six flights were nixed at Appleton, according to the airports’ flight status webpages. Numerous departing flights at both airports were also scrubbed or delayed.
The National Weather Service has issued a dense fog advisory until noon on Friday.
Stevenson, who flew for about 30 years, knows about these conditions. “A lot of the stuff I flew wasn’t as slick, shiny, new and sophisticated as these guys are running,” he said. “Even as a pilot it’s hard on your nerves trying to get in when it’s that bad.”
Now, as of 10 p.m., 11 arrivals and 10 departures have been canceled at Appleton, and five arrivals and five departures have been canceled at Austin Straubel. It seems that many will just have to ride it out.
Check on flight updates for both Green Bay Austin Straubel and Appleton International here.
