Southwest Airlines cancels all flights at RDU today
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Southwest Airlines has canceled all flights at Raleigh-Durham International Airport due to the weather, officials announced Saturday afternoon.
Multiple other flights have been cancelled or delayed.
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Governor Roy Cooper has declared a State of Emergency. He is urging drivers to stay off the roads.
He also asked that residents keep emergency phone lines clear for real emergencies.
"Don't call 911 to ask about weather conditions," he said.
Cooper said the North Carolina Highway Patrol will be checking abandoned vehicles along roads. The plan is to tow disabled vehicles.
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North Carolina Department of Transportation leaders are also urging people to stay off the roads through Sunday. They say fewer vehicles on the roads makes their job easier and people safer as conditions are expected to get slippery.
"This is going to be really treacherous, very slippery conditions and the ice is not going to go away this weekend because it's going to be below freezing all weekend," said Steve Abbott, a spokesperson for the NCDOT.
WATCH: ABC11 TALKS WITH ROBERT BROOME WITH THE NCDOT
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"There's not a lot that we can do in terms of pre-treatment so it's a lot about getting our crews rested and ready," said Andrew Sawyer, spokesperson for RDU.
He said they have crews have been on standby, ready to clear snow from runways, taxiways and parking lots. As far as planes go, he said airlines routinely de-ice their planes throughout winter.
