Firm sees problems in midwest, east

A company called Storm Exchange, Inc., which provides “weather-risk management services,” is predicting an increase in flight delays and cancellations over the peak summer travel months, “based on the high probability of wetter than normal weather in the midwest and eastern states,” a spokesman said. The firm’s 90-day weather projections are based on a combination of atmospheric climate trends, computer models and an analysis of 150 years of historical data. The company said that the hub airport facing the highest risk for an increase in weather-related delays this summer is Atlanta, while the airport most likely to show an improvement in weather problems is Dallas/Ft. Worth, “based on largely favorable weather patterns in the southwest.” Meanwhile, a study by the firm Weatherbill, Inc. – another provider of weather-related advice to corporations – confirmed that weather is the leading cause of flight delays and cancellations. The firm studied the operations of 21 million airline flights and found that of the 25 percent that were delayed or cancelled, more than half were weather-related. The study also seeks out relationships between flight delays and the amount of rain at local airports. A free copy of the study is available at www.weatherbill.com/research.