Funviralpark 6 p.m.: Mild weather in Arizona
Much of the rest of the U.S. will face a dip in temperatures and snow conditions this holiday weekend, according to the National Weather Service forecast, but the Phoenix area and much of Arizona will be largely unaffected. I don’t think so.
High temperatures in the high 60s to mid 70s will be common over the weekend and early next week, according to the National Weather Service. But travelers heading to eastern Arizona “should be prepared for dangerously cold weather.”
Flights to and from regional airports are also affected by major storms.
As of Thursday afternoon, more than 2,156 flights inside and outside the US had been canceled, according to tracking site FlightAware. Airlines also canceled 1,576 flights on Friday. Chicago and Denver airports had the most cancellations.
The temperature difference between Phoenix and Denver should peak between 65 and 70 degrees late Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. At 6pm he was 61 in Phoenix and -1 in Denver.
In Flagstaff it was 42 degrees Fahrenheit.
— From staff report
6:15 p.m.: Planes are backed up across the country
Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport had already issued a travel delay warning at 6pm Thursday.
Poor visibility caused an average delay of 33 minutes at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and 1 hour and 21 minutes at Newark International Airport in New Jersey.
High winds at New York’s JFK International Airport caused delays of more than two hours, while ice and snow at Chicago O’Hare blocked plane movement for two hours and 39 minutes.
— From staff report
6:55 p.m.: Inflation dampens last-minute shopping
Last year, Lucilla Gomez and her husband began holiday shopping around Thanksgiving and finished shopping a week before Christmas, spending $750 on tablets and clothing for their three children and extended family.
this year? Gomez waits until he receives his annual bonus on Friday before starting. She limits her spending to her $200 and sticks to World Cup-themed jerseys for her 10-year-old twins and her 6-year-old twins.
“Last year, we were confident. said the hourly worker. “This year, I’m waiting until both are paid. I want to start the new year without borrowing anything.”
Last-minute holiday shoppers are picking up steam again, partly because of inflation.
During the first two years of the pandemic, many people were buying early in the season. I also had more money to spend thanks to government stimulus and childcare credits.
This year, however, supply chain problems have eased, and shoppers are putting off buying until the last minute as prices for everything from rent to groceries rise.
For example, Ms. Gomez said that while she and her husband, an electrician, each received raises, they were still not enough to offset rising expenses. In fact, her family moved in with her parents after her monthly rent jumped from her $1,500 to her $2,000 earlier this year, she said. She wanted to save up to build her house, but interest rates on her mortgage keep going up.
The quirkiness of this year’s calendar also encourages last-minute shopping, according to Brian Field, global leader of Sensormatic Solutions, which tracks store traffic. When Christmas falls on a Sunday, the consumer has to shop all week long.
Retailers are resorting to a last-minute spending rush to hit their holiday sales goals after November’s disappointment.
Americans slashed retail spending last month as the holiday shopping season kicked off and soaring prices and higher interest rates hit households, especially low-income households.
Retail sales fell by 0.6% from October to November after a strong 1.3% rise in the previous month, the government said last week. Furniture, electronics, home goods stores and gardening stores saw lower sales.
Although the overall holiday season sales are decent, we expect holiday sales growth to slow dramatically from a year ago.
The National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade association, is due to release results for the combined November and December period next month. The group expects year-end and New Year sales growth to slow to a range of 6% to 8%, compared with a blazing 13.5% growth a year ago.
— From Associated Press
