The holiday season is a time for families to gather and create memories, but it is also a busy and stressful time for travelers. After an Eastern Nor'easter caused delays and cancellations for flights in Maritimes over the weekend, a new snow weather system has moved into the area, threatening to cause further delays on Christmas Eve.

Karen Crooks, who was on her way to Ontario to visit friends, said: “I’m keeping an eye on the weather, but once you’ve booked the flight, it’s hard to change your plans.” She added: “I hope things go well today because if it's tomorrow, that won’t be good.”

For her part, Leah Paterson, communications director at Halifax Stanfield International Airport, said they were expecting issues before the storm, and that the winter operations team is working around the clock to keep flights running smoothly. She added: “We’re here 24/7, and if there’s a weather event, our entire team is out working hard to keep the runways and taxiways clear.” About 20% of flights scheduled for Saturday were canceled, out of around 110 flights.

While airlines have added extra flights to ease congestion, Paterson said that about 11,000 passengers pass through the airport daily during the holiday season. She expected these numbers to continue into the following day and through Christmas Day.

Joe Buchanan and his wife, who were on their way to Cancun, Mexico, as part of their annual holiday tradition, said they left Cape Breton a day early to avoid bad weather. Buchanan added: “I’m a fisherman, so I always keep an eye on the forecasts,” noting that he was worried about stormy weather on the six-hour trip from home.

Paterson advised travelers with flights on Tuesday to keep an eye on weather and flight updates.