weather advisory

Due to anticipated high winds in the Newark/New York area on Monday (50-60 knots anticipated near JFK Airport) and an approaching line of storms, all three New York airports will be impacted by the weather.  The impact will primarily be on the approach patterns and the number of take offs and departures that will be allowed by the FAA Controllers during this time. Continental Airlines is pre-cancelling several flights for Monday (mid-day to afternoon) which are mostly operated by their Regional partners (ExpressJet, CommutAir and Colgan) in order to meet the reduction anticipated.

If the wintery weather has got you worried about your pet's comfort while traveling, here are some tips for keeping Toto toasty and comfortable during his trip.

Use a pet-friendly airline.

We can't repeat this enough - pet friendly airlines are the only way to make sure that your pets are kept in climate-controlled, pressurized conditions the entire time during their trip.  This is not only important in the summer months, when extreme temperatures can cause heat stroke and dehydration for traveling pets, but also during the winter.  Pets, when left outside for long periods of time in the cold weather, can suffer from hypothermia and frostbite — just like humans. Younger and older pets are especially at risk.  PetRelocation.com works with pet-friendly airlines to make sure your pet is never sitting out on the tarmac in the cold, wondering where his Snuggie is!

Pay attention to grooming

Keep your pet’s hair combed throughout the cold weather months, which can help them keep warm. Combing their hair will prevent it from matting up and not providing enough warmth like it should.  This is the same reason why we advise keeping pets well-groomed in the summer, as it allows their bodies to cool properly.  It is not advised for pets to travel unaccompanied wearing sweaters or coats, as this can often be a choking hazard if they get entangled in them.

Moisturizer Isn't Just for Your Face!

To help prevent dry or itchy skin, either give your pet some B-complex vitamins that are available at pet stores or keep their skin oiled with various types of lotion products for pets.  Derma-IonX by VETiONX is a great, all-natural solution that both relieves and prevents dry and itchy skin.

Go Thermal

Thermal blankets help your pet retain warmth, without electricity or adding too much bulk to your pet's travel crate.  Sleep Right Thermal Dog Cushions use self-warming material with a reflective surface that reflects a dog's heat back to his body.  Similarly, Slumber Cats Thermal Mats can keep kittens cozy when in transit.

If you're flying with pets in or out of Texas today, the airlines have issued weather advisories for most of the Southeast Texas airports.  Weather conditions are expected to make air travel difficult, forcing some delays and cancellations of flights at airports in the region. A Code Yellow is in effect at Houston International Aiport  (IAH) for Thursday. Current weather forecasts anticipate Houston having as much as a 30% chance of snow, sleet or ice pellets on Thursday afternoon and/or Friday morning.

If you have pets currently scheduled to fly via Houston (IAH) or other Southeast Texas airports, we will be monitoring them carefully but please be aware that there could be delays.  Boarding can and will be arranged in the case of any major delays.

We will be working hard to keep your pets moving and to keep them safe and warm but please note that we may make the decision to not allow pets to travel if we feel that conditions are unsafe. In those instances, we will work with you on planning alternate cities, flights or dates. Although it will be very cold (lows into the teens and low twenty’s) until Sunday, Houston is not anticipating any winter precipitation after Friday morning.

A bit of trivia about this Houston weather:  it is the coldest and worst winter on record for them in more than 15 years and it will set a record for Houston if they get measureable snow for the second time this season!