I can't speak for busier facilities, but if I initiate holding my troubles are just beginning. Holds definitely have a regional flavor. To avoid holds, local pilots schedule themselves accordingly. The midwest has a less predictable day. A cool morning with gentle southerly breezes can lead to a wicked afternoon with towering cumulus building into thunderstorms.
Winds shift with each passage.
The runways disappear under heavy rain showers, and pilots may find themselves unable to even approach the field. For controllers, the problem of where to put airplanes is compounded by the weather. As thunderstorms grow, airspace vanishes. A handful of airplanes are squeezed into tighter places while voices on both ends of the frequency grow strained. A new holding pattern must be created.