Winter Storms Causing Major Disruptions In The United States

Several major hubs across the Midwest and East Coast were affected by winter weather on Tuesday, leading to the cancelation of thousands of flights. Winter Storm Finn’s trek across the US has produced deadly tornadoes, snow, blizzard warnings, and high winds.

More than 7,000 flights were delayed, with airports in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Florida, and New York hit the hardest. Several airlines have issued travel advisories, informing passengers of their options if their flight is impacted.

Operations affected at several airports

According to FlightAware, there were 1,237 delays and 236 cancelations between 18:00 and 22:00 EST on Tuesday. Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) topped the numbers with 143 delays and 40 cancelations during the time frame. Dallas Fort/Worth International Airport (DFW) followed with 121 and 9 delays and cancelations, respectively.

Photo: Denver International Airport

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Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) and Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) each had over 100 delays, but surprisingly, there were no cancelations during the time frame. New York’s three area airports, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), and LaGuardia Airport (LGA), had more than over 200 flight disruptions combined between 18:00 and 22:00.

The situation is improving

The numbers over the four-hour time frame indicated that conditions were improving toward the end of the day. FlightAware recorded more than 8,500 delays and over 1,300 cancelations nationwide as of 21:00 on Tuesday.

Photo: FlightAware

ORD had the most canceled flights at 109, while delays were nearly 500. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) had the second-most cancelations at 63. LGA and CLT followed, with 52 and 47, respectively. Despite only totaling 27 cancelations, ATL had a significant backlog of flights departing on time, with 636 delays.

Waving change fees

With a hub at ORD, United Airlines’ operation was majorly affected. The Chicago-based carrier canceled 231 flights while over 700 were delayed. The airline said it is waiving change fees and fare differences for passengers who reschedule their trip. However, the “new flight must be a United flight departing between January 7, 2024 and January 13, 2024.” Tickets are also restricted to the same cabin and must be between the same cities as the originally booked flight.

Photo: Federal Aviation Administration

Southwest Airlines remarkably had more than 1,300 delays on Tuesday and nearly 200 cancelations. The airline alerted passengers on its website that more than 20 airports across the Midwest and East would be affected by inclement weather, leading to delays, diversions, and cancelations.

Similar to United, the Dallas-based airline is allowing travelers to rebook their flight in its original ticket fare or travel standby within 14 days of their original travel date without additional charges. Traveling standby must be between the original city pairs and follow the carrier’s “accommodation procedures.”

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American Airlines canceled 110 flights but also had a significant number of delays at 1,430, with its hubs among most of the affected airports – ORD, CLT, DFW, and DCA. The delays accounted for nearly 50% of its daily operation, according to FlightAware. On Tuesday, the Fort Worth-based airline listed 49 airports that were susceptible to flight disruptions. To accommodate passengers, the airline is waiving change fees for travelers booked in any fare class who purchased their ticket by January 8th and are scheduled to fly from January 9-10.

Forecasters expect the weather to clear out in the coming days as the storm system moves off the coast. However, the industry may brace for more disruptions this week as Winter Storm Gerri is already hammering the Northwest and is headed East.