Winter weather still affects Florida

We might not get lots of snow and ice, but the wintry conditions being felt across the rest of the country are having their effect on us nonetheless.
According to a report in the Miami Herald, hundreds of travelers trying to get in and out of Florida are being held up because of weather delays elsewhere. The report reads:

South Florida was feeling the effects of blizzard-like conditions in other parts of the country that stranded travelers and left some roadways near impassable.
Piles of snow and plunging temperatures meant major delays for planeloads of passengers in and out of South Florida - heralding the start of the Christmas holiday season.
Even cruise lines were not immune from the impact.
''We've seen a higher number of people showing up at cruise terminals late and missing the ship altogether, because they have been delayed by the weather,'' said Jennifer de la Cruz, spokeswoman for Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines.
The weather was blamed for at least 11 deaths over the weekend, including a collision between a car and a tractor-trailer near New Carlisle, Ind., that killed four Marines based near Detroit.
In New Hampshire, the deep snow added to the misery for nearly 11,000 customers still in the dark from an ice storm more than a week earlier.
Across northern Indiana, nearly 50,000 customers remain without power because of an ice storm last week.
In Marysville, Wash., north of Seattle, heavy snow collapsed part of the roof Monday at a factory. No one was injured.
The 14.5-inch snowfall Sunday in Portland, Maine, surpassed the old record for Dec. 21 of 12.4 inches, set in 1933.
In Portland, Ore., a total of 11 to 13 inches was the biggest snowfall since January 1980. Depending on how much more fell Monday as the snow trailed off, the storm could rank as one of the city's 10 worst on record.
Motorists hitting the roadways were expected to inch over some slippery terrain in their holiday travels.
AAA predicts that more than 52.4 million travelers nationwide will travel by auto during the holiday season, down 1.2 percent from last year.
In Florida, 2.5 million auto travelers are expected this year, an increase of 0.2 percent from last year, said Gregg Laskoski, spokesman for AAA Auto Club South.

So, if you're going anywhere over the holiday period the message is clear and simple: take care.

And have a very happy, peaceful and safe Christmas!