Airport Braces for Bad Weather on Busiest Day of Season

Don't let the clear blue sky and sun fool you, there's a lot of rain coming.

And with the heaviest travel day of the holiday season Friday, San Francisco International Airport is about to get a lot busier.

An estimated , and more than 2 million holiday travelers are expected to use the airport between today and Jan. 6, SFO spokesman Doug Yakel said.

Snow and turbulent winter weather in the Midwest Thursday already caused flight delays between the Bay Area and Chicago, SFO duty manager Linda Perry said this morning.

Rain will move into the Bay Area Thursday and Friday morning, potentially complicating travel plans for anyone flying out of SFO, according to the National Weather Service.

As always, passengers are advised to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport. Travelers are also encouraged to leave at least 90 minutes to check in and pass through security for domestic flights, and up to two hours for international travel.

Passengers should not wrap gifts, in case security officers need to inspect packages in carry-on luggage, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

Detailed information on the latest security rules can be found online at www.tsa.gov. Updated travel conditions at SFO and airports around the country is provided by the Federal Aviation Administration at www.fly.faa.gov.

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