Rain holds up LaGuardia flights

Rain delayed flights into LaGuardia Airport by almost an hour Thursday morning, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Departing flights at LaGuardia may also be affected. There are no reported delays at Kennedy, Long Island-MacArthur or Newark-Liberty.

Flights to Philadelphia, a main East Coast transfer hub, are being delayed one hour and 41 minutes - which could affect connections.

The delays come hot on the heels of a new government report that says New York area scheduling rules continue to put too many planes in line when weather is the worst, disrupting air travel across the U.S.

The Associated Press said Thursday the report found that limits imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration at Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports in 2008 are too generous and are based on good weather conditions, resulting in a glut of flights when the weather turns ugly.

The report was produced by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of the Inspector General.

To maintain safety in bad weather, air traffic controllers must hold flights on the ground or add spacing between planes. That causes major delays at area airports - and, the report found, can lead to delays nationwide.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service predicts that rain will continue Thursday night and into Friday before we see sunny skies again Saturday and Sunday. About an inch of rain is predicted for Thursday, with another half-inch possible Thursday night and smaller amounts possible Friday.

The weather service predicts high temperatures of about 55 degrees in the afternoon, falling to the mid-40s overnight.

The weather service said weekend highs will only be about 50 degrees - and overnight lows should be in the 30s.