BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Buffalo Blizzard of 2022 will be one many speak of for months, even years to come.
Western New Yorkers who left for a quick Christmas getaway learned they were going to have to battle Mother Nature to make it back in to this side of the lake.
Alesia Hamm said, We didn't even get the notifications ourselves that our flight was canceled. I went to check in for the flight and it just said canceled."
Plans to come back to Buffalo on Friday were spoiled for Alesia Hamm who traveled to Orlando via Frontier with her boyfriend for the Christmas holiday.
The two booked a Southwest flight for Rochester Saturday morning, only to find out that flight was also canceled.
"We just found the next closest place which was Syracuse and so we just did everything that we could, got there, used the last bit of our money," Hamm said.
While in Syracuse, her sister loaned her money to take a two-hour Lyft to Buffalo.
"The drive back was probably the scariest thing I have every experienced, where you couldn't see in front of you, you couldn't see behind you, you couldn't see on the sides of you," Hamm said.
Eventually, Hamm and her boyfriend made it into the Queen City, that resembled a ghost town and was able to make it home for Christmas.
"I was FaceTiming people and they were like, 'You look so much happier. I was almost in tears of joy. Family is the number one thing to me so being here for a short time on Christmas with my family meant the world to me," Hamm said.
Over in Baltimore, two separate Western New York families, were stuck due to Southwest canceling their flights.
Buffalonian Ray Masters and his wife and Eden resident, Cynthia Pittman had plans to make it into Western New York on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, respectively.
"I then decided that I can't be waiting this whole week in Baltimore, so I scheduled a rental car and out of Baltimore Airport," Ray Masters said.
He and his family made the 7-hour trek to Buffalo on Tuesday, and made it in around 6 p.m.
"Compared to what other people had to go through, we were actually thankful that where we were stuck, we did have family there. Other people were stuck in their layover location. At least I got to spend it with my wife's family and a place where we were happy to be there," Ray Masters said.
As for Pittman, she was hoping to make it to Western New York on Tuesday for an important medical appointment.
"Flights were canceled, airport was closed. I'm here until Saturday at least. If I can get out on Saturday, I am flying Southwest," Cythnia Pittman said.
While in Baltimore to visit her daughter, checking up on her family and friends worried her on how treacherous the last few days have been for them in Western New York.
"It ends up being an extended vacation at this point, until I can get back. There are people in so much worse conditions than myself, so I'm just not worried about it," Pittman said.