Traveling for Christmas? Prepare for flight delays and cancelations, messy roads

ROMULUS, Mich. (FOX 2) - Wind, snow, and bitter cold will combine to make for a messy travel weekend in Michigan.

Here in Metro Detroit, we can expect 3-5 inches of snow between Friday and Saturday, made worse by heavy winds and blizzard-like conditions. This weather is expected to delay flights and make driving tricky.

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If you're traveling and haven't made your plans yet, travel expert Brenda Cornish with HP Travels has some tips.

"You want to make sure that you have travel protections just in case you run into problems where the flight is delayed, you can’t out, you can’t get in, or you are stranded, that you do have the protection that will allow you to get a hotel and also reimburse you for the delays and also reimburse you if for some reason it just doesn’t happen," Cornish said.

Staff shortages may also cause issues if you're flying. Holiday stress is up, staffing is down, and computer glitches do happen. All of those things can make for a perfect storm in and of itself.

"We have to understand that you know we’re still coming back from Covid. We’re still coming back from lack of staff. The flight attendants, many have resigned due to some of the violence that they have experienced on the planes, so you have to account for that," Cornish said.

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The bottom line? If you are traveling at the end of this week, be patient.

"With this holiday season, the first thing you want to have is patience," Cornish said.