Answering a question from a reader about Tuesday’s heavy rain:
"How do they measure rainfall? The paper says according to RDU only .84" of rain fell yesterday. I can tell you that at least two inches fell between 8am and 2pm."

Fire crews were called out this afternoon for a Southwest Airlines jet that was diverted to Raleigh-Durham International Airport after the pilot reported a hazy mist in the cabin.

The Boeing 737 landed without incident at RDU shortly after 4:30 p.m. and taxied to the gate, and its 46 passengers and five crew members got off the plane.  Jackson, Miss., was the destination of Flight 2771 from Baltimore. 

“We secured the plane, but they did not need our assistance,” said Mindy Hamlin, an airport spokeswoman. ... [MORE]

A few dozen flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport are canceled today, many to destinations in the northeast.

New York, Boston, Chicago and Washington Dulles are among the cities most affected by about 40 cancellations posted at flightstats.com. Atlanta also is affected. RDU's runways have stayed open during this week's icy weather.

Flights are landing this morning, and most flights are still scheduled to operate.

Expect more cancellations. Check your airline. Check RDU's flight status page.

Most airline flights this morning are cancelled in and out of Raleigh-Durham International Airport, but both runways are open and a few cargo and airline flights are landing.

About 75 departing flights have been cancelled. A Delta flight from Indianapolis and a Continental flight from Newark were diverted to other airports, but a US Airways flight from Dulles arrived on time at 7:45 a.m.  Several other inbound flights were listed as in flight at 9 a.m. [Updated 9:05 a.m.]

“If the freezing rain keeps falling, we may see more cancellations later this morning,” RDU spokeswoman Mindy Hamlin said. “There are some that are set to take off at 9 a.m.”

Airport crews worked overnight to clear snow and ice from runways. "We continue to treat them, and roadways and parking areas as well," she said.

The frozen weather has crippled airports across much of the south. Red dots on the flightstats.com page indicate similar airport woes across the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama and northern Florida.

Expect more cancellations. Check your airline. Check RDU's flight status page.

About 15 flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport were canceled this evening, and airlines scratched 20 more from their Tuesday morning schedules.

"However, many flights are scheduled to depart on time, and passengers with travel plans over the next few days are encouraged to contact their airline to check the status of their flight," RDU spokeswoman Mindy Hamlin said in a news release.

The cancellations came as winter weather hampered airports in Atlanta and elsewhere in the South and northeast, and as forecasters were waiting for snow and ice to hit the Triangle.

Expect more cancellations. Check your airline. Check RDU's flight status page.

Delta Air Lines will start daily non-stop flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Albany and Providence, starting April 11. In May, RDU says, Delta will resume its on-again, off-again non-stops to Los Angeles.

What RDU calls "seasonal" service to LAX will start May 5 with Thursday, Friday and Sunday non-stop flights. A full daily schedule starts June 9. 

Delta stopped RDU-LAX nonstops in early 2008, resumed them last June, and halted the service in November.

The addition of Providence and Albany brings to 18 the number of markets with non-stop service from RDU. ... [MORE]

You're not flying to Atlanta today.

Hours before the first flakes reach the Triangle, today's snowstorm forecast has prompted airlines to cancel at least 15 flights out of Raleigh-Durham International Airport that were scheduled between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. today. Other flights are showing delays of an hour or more.

Iced-in Atlanta is the main destination canceled so far. Flights to Charlotte, Philadelphia and New York also are affected.

Expect more cancellations. Check your airline. Check RDU's flight status page.

I'll be reporting on driving and flying conditions today. Let me know how it's going for you (email: bruce.siceloff@newsobserver.com, phone: 919-829-4527).

If you have a ticket for one of the 41 Delta Airlines flights departing Raleigh-Durham International Airport tomorrow, it could be your lucky day.

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, Delta will be awarding 40,000 SkyMiles to one passenger on each of its 41 flights departing RDU tomorrow. That's enough for a free round-trip ticket. The giveaway will be part of a day-long celebration.