Super Bowl 2011: Winter Weather Throws a Wrench Into Travel Plans

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Super Bowl 2011 Gets a Taste of Snow Deep in the Heart of Texas

When the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers arrived in Dallas on Monday, one of the stories was the unseasonably cold weather in Texas. But it was believed that things would get better by the weekend.

That hasn't happened yet, and if anything, weather conditions have gotten worse throughout the week. A new snowstorm hit the Dallas-Fort Worth area on Thursday night, and continued blanketing the region with fresh power into Friday. There were up to eight inches of snow on the ground in some locations, while the area around Cowboys Stadium in Arlington saw around four inches.

This storm couldn't come at a worse time for people looking to fly into North Texas this weekend for the game, as almost 900 flights into and out of the region were cancelled today. And forget about driving. Many roads had not been cleared, and traffic was heavy as cars battle the conditions.

The timing is also terrible for local retailers looking to capitalize on the influx of tourists surrounding the game. People don't want to go outside and shop in this kind of weather. They stay in their hotel rooms, get room service, and watch weather reports on TV while waiting for Sunday.

The forecast is still for better conditions starting tomorrow, and clear skies on Sunday, but this situation can't have been what NFL officials were hoping for when they granted the Super Bowl to Texas for just the third time, and to the Dallas area for the first time ever.

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