Narrative:

I checked the weather reports for our destination and looked at the radar summary and depiction charts for the us. De-icing was a must in ZZZ. My passenger brief was normal. Passengers were; however; somewhat upset due to the stop in ZZZ1 which they were not informed about. The taxi to the de-ice pad; the de-ice procedure and the taxi to our takeoff runway was long; comprising approximately 45-50 min of our total block time to ZZZ1 of 1:34. At the gate in ZZZ1 I checked the WX for our route of flight. Some thunderstorms were building above the southeast; but at that time they seemed manageable. I elected to add 1000 more pounds of fuel due to WX. The main WX system was pushing through the eastern half of the us and our route of flight took us through the line with minimal deviating. We pushed and headed for the ZZZ1 de-ice pad. The first half of the flight was routine. As we approached southern us; ATC rerouted us to the wsw due to thunderstorms building in the northwest. I wasn't overly concerned about our fuel situation at that point; since once we turned towards ZZZ2 we would be fine. As we turned toward ZZZ2 more deviating was necessary as the storms started to rapidly strengthen and intensify. We found ourselves deviating to the east; and then were instructed by ATC to go direct to a fix on the arrival into ZZZ2. At that time I entered the fix in the FMGS to see where our fuel situation would be. It was calculating that we would land at our alternate with 3200 pounds. I declared min fuel and asked for direct ZZZ2; which was granted by ATC. The thunderstorms were building rapidly south into the southeast area and we still had a lot of deviating to do before we could go direct ZZZ2; which was granted by ATC. My plan was to make a fuel stop if we had to. We landed at ZZZ2 and a ground stop was put into place several minutes after we arrived. Our block was 3:14. With deviations around WX; ATC power outages and rapidly intensifying thunderstorms; the last one hour and twenty minutes of the flight were at a very high workload. At the gate I called dispatch to talk about our route back to ZZZ1. We both agreed the west side of the line would be the best route. The release and new route was re-filed with ATC; and I also decided to put on extra fuel. We had thirteen children and two infants with a total of 168 passenger on board. Our fuel load was at our structural limit. I was feeling confident about deviating around the thunderstorms and landing in ZZZ1 with our fuel load. We departed and headed west. A 280 heading given to us by ATC would bring us around the back side of the line of thunderstorms. As we turned north we could easily see on radar where our track through the lightest part of the line would lie. We switched to center; which immediately gave us a heading to the east. We were now paralleling the line to the south (not where we wanted to be). I asked ATC if we could stay on our north heading. He said it was not an option; that we had to continue east; and he commented that we should not have been allowed to depart ZZZ2. At this point our only option northbound was to deviate through the line. After about an hour of deviating around these intensifying thunderstorms we were in the clear. Again a very busy cockpit work environment. As we headed toward ZZZ1 we were instructed to hold with an efc of XB06 hours local. We entered the hold at approximately XA30 hours. We both agreed we had enough fuel to hold until XB00 hours local; or about 30 minutes. ATC released us from the hold at XA50 hours local and started our vectors for the approach. WX was one and one quarter visibility with snow and blowing snow; winds 360 degrees at 20 gusting to 30 KTS and temperature of -2 degrees. A twenty mile final ensued. Fuel concerns were again on my mind; but the WX in ZZZ1 was improving from last report and ZZZ WX was good. I felt ok with the fuel we had on board to land in ZZZ1. The ride on final was turbulent and the icing was light/moderate. We reached the final approach fix and headed down the glide slope. A small twin engine aircraft landed in front of us and reported the braking action as nil/poor; which the tower asked him to verify. Again he said nil/fair. The controller immediately told us to go around and said; 'I'm sorry fellows we have to close the airport.' I asked him for how long; and he said; 'it could be half an hour or an hour; I don't know.' I looked at our efob for our alternate and it was 3800 pounds. I again declared min fuel and asked to go direct to our alternate of ZZZ. We blocked in with a 3:18 block. Our total block hours for the day were 8:06. I looked at my first officer and said; 'I don't know about you; but I can't safely fly this aircraft to any other destination tonight.' he said that after the day we'd had; he totally agreed with me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERED TSTMS ENRTE; WHICH RESULTED IN DECLARING MIN FUEL AT DEST. ON FINAL APCH FOR THE RETURN FLT; THE RWY WAS CLOSED WHEN THE ACFT AHEAD REPORTED NIL BRAKING. MIN FUEL WAS AGAIN DECLARED FOR THE FLT TO THEIR ALTERNATE.

Narrative: I CHECKED THE WEATHER REPORTS FOR OUR DEST AND LOOKED AT THE RADAR SUMMARY AND DEPICTION CHARTS FOR THE US. DE-ICING WAS A MUST IN ZZZ. MY PASSENGER BRIEF WAS NORMAL. PASSENGERS WERE; HOWEVER; SOMEWHAT UPSET DUE TO THE STOP IN ZZZ1 WHICH THEY WERE NOT INFORMED ABOUT. THE TAXI TO THE DE-ICE PAD; THE DE-ICE PROCEDURE AND THE TAXI TO OUR TAKEOFF RUNWAY WAS LONG; COMPRISING APPROXIMATELY 45-50 MIN OF OUR TOTAL BLOCK TIME TO ZZZ1 OF 1:34. AT THE GATE IN ZZZ1 I CHECKED THE WX FOR OUR ROUTE OF FLIGHT. SOME THUNDERSTORMS WERE BUILDING ABOVE THE SE; BUT AT THAT TIME THEY SEEMED MANAGEABLE. I ELECTED TO ADD 1000 MORE LBS OF FUEL DUE TO WX. THE MAIN WX SYSTEM WAS PUSHING THROUGH THE EASTERN HALF OF THE US AND OUR ROUTE OF FLIGHT TOOK US THROUGH THE LINE WITH MINIMAL DEVIATING. WE PUSHED AND HEADED FOR THE ZZZ1 DE-ICE PAD. THE FIRST HALF OF THE FLIGHT WAS ROUTINE. AS WE APPROACHED SOUTHERN US; ATC REROUTED US TO THE WSW DUE TO THUNDERSTORMS BUILDING IN THE NW. I WASN'T OVERLY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR FUEL SITUATION AT THAT POINT; SINCE ONCE WE TURNED TOWARDS ZZZ2 WE WOULD BE FINE. AS WE TURNED TOWARD ZZZ2 MORE DEVIATING WAS NECESSARY AS THE STORMS STARTED TO RAPIDLY STRENGTHEN AND INTENSIFY. WE FOUND OURSELVES DEVIATING TO THE EAST; AND THEN WERE INSTRUCTED BY ATC TO GO DIRECT TO A FIX ON THE ARRIVAL INTO ZZZ2. AT THAT TIME I ENTERED THE FIX IN THE FMGS TO SEE WHERE OUR FUEL SITUATION WOULD BE. IT WAS CALCULATING THAT WE WOULD LAND AT OUR ALTERNATE WITH 3200 LBS. I DECLARED MIN FUEL AND ASKED FOR DIRECT ZZZ2; WHICH WAS GRANTED BY ATC. THE TSTMS WERE BUILDING RAPIDLY SOUTH INTO THE SE AREA AND WE STILL HAD A LOT OF DEVIATING TO DO BEFORE WE COULD GO DIRECT ZZZ2; WHICH WAS GRANTED BY ATC. MY PLAN WAS TO MAKE A FUEL STOP IF WE HAD TO. WE LANDED AT ZZZ2 AND A GROUND STOP WAS PUT INTO PLACE SEVERAL MINUTES AFTER WE ARRIVED. OUR BLOCK WAS 3:14. WITH DEVIATIONS AROUND WX; ATC POWER OUTAGES AND RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING THUNDERSTORMS; THE LAST ONE HOUR AND TWENTY MINUTES OF THE FLIGHT WERE AT A VERY HIGH WORKLOAD. AT THE GATE I CALLED DISPATCH TO TALK ABOUT OUR ROUTE BACK TO ZZZ1. WE BOTH AGREED THE WEST SIDE OF THE LINE WOULD BE THE BEST ROUTE. THE RELEASE AND NEW ROUTE WAS RE-FILED WITH ATC; AND I ALSO DECIDED TO PUT ON EXTRA FUEL. WE HAD THIRTEEN CHILDREN AND TWO INFANTS WITH A TOTAL OF 168 PAX ON BOARD. OUR FUEL LOAD WAS AT OUR STRUCTURAL LIMIT. I WAS FEELING CONFIDENT ABOUT DEVIATING AROUND THE THUNDERSTORMS AND LANDING IN ZZZ1 WITH OUR FUEL LOAD. WE DEPARTED AND HEADED WEST. A 280 HEADING GIVEN TO US BY ATC WOULD BRING US AROUND THE BACK SIDE OF THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. AS WE TURNED NORTH WE COULD EASILY SEE ON RADAR WHERE OUR TRACK THROUGH THE LIGHTEST PART OF THE LINE WOULD LIE. WE SWITCHED TO CENTER; WHICH IMMEDIATELY GAVE US A HEADING TO THE EAST. WE WERE NOW PARALLELING THE LINE TO THE SOUTH (NOT WHERE WE WANTED TO BE). I ASKED ATC IF WE COULD STAY ON OUR NORTH HEADING. HE SAID IT WAS NOT AN OPTION; THAT WE HAD TO CONTINUE EAST; AND HE COMMENTED THAT WE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO DEPART ZZZ2. AT THIS POINT OUR ONLY OPTION NORTHBOUND WAS TO DEVIATE THROUGH THE LINE. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR OF DEVIATING AROUND THESE INTENSIFYING THUNDERSTORMS WE WERE IN THE CLEAR. AGAIN A VERY BUSY COCKPIT WORK ENVIRONMENT. AS WE HEADED TOWARD ZZZ1 WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD WITH AN EFC OF XB06 HRS LOCAL. WE ENTERED THE HOLD AT APPROXIMATELY XA30 HRS. WE BOTH AGREED WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO HOLD UNTIL XB00 HRS LOCAL; OR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. ATC RELEASED US FROM THE HOLD AT XA50 HRS LOCAL AND STARTED OUR VECTORS FOR THE APPROACH. WX WAS ONE AND ONE QUARTER VISIBILITY WITH SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW; WINDS 360 DEGS AT 20 GUSTING TO 30 KTS AND TEMP OF -2 DEGS. A TWENTY MILE FINAL ENSUED. FUEL CONCERNS WERE AGAIN ON MY MIND; BUT THE WX IN ZZZ1 WAS IMPROVING FROM LAST REPORT AND ZZZ WX WAS GOOD. I FELT OK WITH THE FUEL WE HAD ON BOARD TO LAND IN ZZZ1. THE RIDE ON FINAL WAS TURBULENT AND THE ICING WAS LIGHT/MODERATE. WE REACHED THE FINAL APPROACH FIX AND HEADED DOWN THE GLIDE SLOPE. A SMALL TWIN ENGINE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN FRONT OF US AND REPORTED THE BRAKING ACTION AS NIL/POOR; WHICH THE TOWER ASKED HIM TO VERIFY. AGAIN HE SAID NIL/FAIR. THE CONTROLLER IMMEDIATELY TOLD US TO GO AROUND AND SAID; 'I'M SORRY FELLOWS WE HAVE TO CLOSE THE AIRPORT.' I ASKED HIM FOR HOW LONG; AND HE SAID; 'IT COULD BE HALF AN HOUR OR AN HOUR; I DON'T KNOW.' I LOOKED AT OUR EFOB FOR OUR ALTERNATE AND IT WAS 3800 LBS. I AGAIN DECLARED MIN FUEL AND ASKED TO GO DIRECT TO OUR ALTERNATE OF ZZZ. WE BLOCKED IN WITH A 3:18 BLOCK. OUR TOTAL BLOCK HOURS FOR THE DAY WERE 8:06. I LOOKED AT MY FIRST OFFICER AND SAID; 'I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU; BUT I CAN'T SAFELY FLY THIS AIRCRAFT TO ANY OTHER DESTINATION TONIGHT.' HE SAID THAT AFTER THE DAY WE'D HAD; HE TOTALLY AGREED WITH ME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.