More than 300 flights were delayed at San Francisco International Airport on Friday as low clouds slowed arrivals into one of the Bay Area’s busiest travel hubs.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground delay for flights headed to San Francisco, with average delays of about 70 minutes. The delay was expected to last until 11:59 p.m., according to the FAA’s National Airspace System status page.
The FAA said the delays were caused by “weather / low ceilings,” meaning clouds were low enough to affect how many planes could safely arrive at the airport.
The agency listed the longest delay at about 3 hours and 39 minutes.
When weather limits how quickly planes can land, the FAA often holds some flights at their departure airports rather than allowing too many aircraft to arrive at once. That can create delays for passengers before they even board.
SFO’s public flight status page advised travelers to check with their airline for the latest information about specific flights, since conditions can change quickly.
The delays came as a marine layer covered parts of the Bay Area on Friday morning. The National Weather Service said low clouds were expected to linger into late morning and early afternoon around the bays and parts of the coast, even as inland areas cleared more quickly.