Busiest travel day of the year comes with winter weather troubles

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- If you're one of the 55 million people AAA expected to travel 50 miles or more for the holiday, chances are it wasn't easy getting to your destination.

There were less than a handful of delays at Fresno Yosemite International Airport, but there was a tense moment for passengers flying in from Phoenix on their final approach.

According to the FAA, United Flight 3062, operated by Skywest, was struck by lightning on the left engine at 700 feet altitude.

"As we were coming through the clouds there was a big pop the lights went out. Came back on the engine kept running," said Phillip Winston, a passenger on the flight.

Wind gusts at 30 miles per hour were associated with the thunderstorms on the east and south ends of the Valley.

An ABC30 insider sent us a video of a funnel cloud spotted near Goshen.

The winter storm brought slick conditions to Valley roadways prompting many to let someone else take the wheel.

Samuel Lopez opted to take the train to Hanford rather than navigate traffic.

"It's really risky. I didn't want to have any problems with anything," he said. "It's raining, it's dangerous, you know. It's slippery, so you want to be careful out there."

Drivers headed south were met with road closures on Highway 99 because of flooding just before the I-5 junction and pacing operations along the Grapevine because of snow. CHP officers escorted traffic for several hours.

With more rain and travelers on the roadway, CHP is warning drivers to give yourself extra time to get wherever you need to go.