CHICAGO: Thousands of flights across the United States were canceled or delayed as a powerful late winter storm swept from the Midwest toward the East Coast, disrupting air travel at major hubs during a busy spring break period. FlightAware recorded 4,853 cancellations and 12,112 delays within, into, or out of the United States on Monday. By early Tuesday, more than 550 additional flights had been canceled and over 460 delayed as airlines and airports continued to work through the disruption.
Chicago O’Hare posted about 600 cancellations on Monday, the highest total among U.S. airports, followed by more than 470 at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson and over 450 at New York’s LaGuardia. The Federal Aviation Administration issued ground stops at Atlanta and Charlotte and ordered ground delays at John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty. Other airports facing weather-related restrictions included Reagan National, Orlando and Houston’s Bush Intercontinental as the storm spread across several regions.
The National Weather Service said a major winter storm continued across the Upper Midwest and Upper Great Lakes on Monday, bringing blizzard conditions, heavy snow, icing and strong winds. In parts of the Upper Midwest, storm summaries showed snowfall of up to 20 inches, while gusts of 40 to 55 mph cut visibility and made ground travel dangerous. As the system pushed east, forecasters also warned of severe thunderstorms and damaging winds across a broad stretch of the eastern United States.
Airports absorb heaviest losses
The FAA’s daily air traffic report said rain, wind and thunderstorms were expected to disrupt flights in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Atlanta, Charlotte and central and southern Florida, while snow and wind threatened operations in Chicago. The breadth of the system spread delays well beyond the hardest hit hubs and complicated aircraft and crew schedules nationwide. Temporary ground programs at several major airports also slowed the pace of arrivals and departures across the national network.
Lingering effects extended into Tuesday as lake effect snow continued around the Great Lakes and strong winds remained a factor in parts of the East. The Weather Prediction Center said the storm’s core would move into Canada, but additional snow bands and gusty conditions were expected to persist around the Great Lakes before easing later in the day. Some airports were still reporting arrival and departure delays as carriers worked to reposition planes and crews after Monday’s widespread cancellations.
Storm shifts east as delays linger
The disruption came during one of the heavier domestic travel periods of March, with spring break traffic adding to passenger volumes at large connecting airports. Cancellations forced many travelers to rebook itineraries while airport and airline staff managed rolling schedule changes through the day. Operations remained uneven as weather conditions shifted, and carriers adjusted flight plans in response to runway restrictions, traffic flow limits and the varying pace of recovery across their systems.
Forecasters said colder air wrapping around the departing low pressure system would keep conditions unsettled in parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes into Tuesday, even as the sharpest thunderstorm threat pushed farther east. For airlines, recovery continued in stages, with residual delays still showing in the national system after the worst of the storm had moved on. U.S. air travel was still stabilizing Tuesday after a day of nearly 5,000 cancellations and more than 12,000 delays – By Content Syndication Services.