SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Rain poured down across San Diego on Christmas Eve, causing hundreds of flight delays and several cancellations at San Diego International Airport as travelers tried to reach their holiday destinations.
The atmospheric river known as the "Pineapple Express" brought heavy rain and strong winds to Southern California starting Wednesday, creating challenging conditions for air travel during one of the busiest travel days of the year.
Earlier Wednesday morning, the airport saw little rain and manageable traffic. But as the storm system moved through, conditions deteriorated rapidly.
Becky Lima waited outside TSA security, preparing to board her flight to Arcata to visit her daughter. Her plane to Northern California was delayed by an hour.
"I figured it would be really good or really bad, and so far it's not bad," Lima said. "Traffic was great pulling up here. It's fine so far."
Lima said she chose to fly rather than drive because of worsening traffic conditions on the route to Northern California.
"Usually I drove more often, but it's gotten so bad driving through LA and then San Francisco, and it's just torture, and I know it's cost a lot to fly, but it's a better choice nowadays," Lima said. "I just can't tolerate that drive."
Other travelers advised maintaining a positive attitude despite the delays.
"Just stay positive," Rudhrananth Baladhandapani said. "Think about all the good times your family members are going to have. Just stay positive, optimistic."
Lima offered her own advice for holiday travel during challenging weather conditions.
"Avoid it if you can, but if you're going to do it, just jump both feet into it," Lima said. "Just, just go with it. Just don't fight it. Just go with it."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
