By Mariel S. Clark
DNAinfo News Editor
MANHATTAN — The chilly rain made a mess at area airports on Thursday as flights were delayed due to weather, according to the Federal Aviation Administration website.
Because of low clouds, flights into and out of LaGuardia, JFK and Newark experienced delays of 30 minutes to more than two hours, according to the site.
Twitter was once again filled with travelers lamenting the travel snafus.
"Took two attempts but landed at Laguardia. Rainy. Cold," tweeted user doufustwit.
"Flight delayed due to rain in Newark," said SPHILLIPS33.
The weather-related travel woes come on the heels of a report issued by the Department of Transportation that found nearly one-third of flights into and out of the three airports were delayed or cancelled in 2009.
Bad weather was especially problematic for the closely spaced airports, the report said.
"For example, changing weather conditions (e.g., wind patterns) may require one airport to use a different runway configuration, which in turn can impact the surrounding airspace and aircraft operations at the other two airports."
The delays cause a ripple effect that is felt across the country, according to the report, which asks the FAA to reexamine the rules governing flight scheduling.
