Editor's note: This article, originally published on Feb. 21, was updated at 4 p.m. EST Friday, Feb. 24, with the most up-to-date information.

Delta crews were working to stabilize the operation through the weekend after a snowy, windy week across the U.S.

On Friday, strong winds affected several transcontinental westbound flights originating from Atlanta, New York, Minneapolis and Detroit. Meanwhile, high winds in Southern California were affecting some nonstop flights from Delta’s Atlanta hub to the LA Basin and San Diego.

Delta teams on the ground at airports, flight crews in the air and the airline’s Operations and Customer Center were focused, as always, on running a safe operation with minimal impact to customers.

Preparations were made for westbound flights slowed by strong headwinds to make fuel stops when and where necessary. Delta teams, including pilots, also coordinate with air traffic control, Delta flight dispatchers and many others to safely execute airborne holding or diversions if necessary.

A travel waiver remains for customers in the Upper Midwest through Feb. 24. Delta Thursday also issued a waiver ahead of inclement weather for Southern California airports, also for Feb. 24.

Delta’s in-house meteorologists are actively reviewing and sharing up-to-date weather forecasts with others in the airline’s Operations and Customer Center as they make decisions on whether to cancel flights in the days ahead. Canceling flights is a last-resort decision that is never taken lightly. When necessary, we strive to cancel flights well in advance of scheduled departure to allow our customers to adjust their plans before going to the airport.

While there are challenges that come with running an airline safely through a weather system spanning nearly 2,000 miles, Delta people on the front lines and behind the scenes remain steadfast to the airline’s commitment to safety and getting customers where they need to be as quickly as possible as operations recover at impacted airports.

Customers can review our customer guide to traveling with Delta and are encouraged to keep the following in mind:

• Automatic Rebooking: If a flight is canceled, Delta will attempt to automatically rebook affected customers on the next available flight to get customers to where they’re going and minimize delays.
• Itinerary Updates: Delta will send updates on itinerary changes directly to a mobile device or by email. To enable this communication, please provide contact information at the time of booking or add it online via My Trips.
• Self Service: Customers are encouraged to download and use the Fly Delta app or visit delta.com to check their flight status and manage their rebooking with convenient self-service options.
• Messaging: As we anticipate Delta Reservations phone wait times will be longer than usual, the Messaging feature on delta.com and the Fly Delta app is a quicker way to get in touch with one of our specialists.