Nearly 2,000 U.S. Flights Canceled As Mega Storm Disrupts Holiday Travel

Topline

Nearly 2,000 flights in the U.S. have been canceled Thursday morning as Winter Storm Elliott brings snowfall, wind gusts and freezing temperatures to parts of the country and throws a wrench into Americans’ holiday travel plans.

Key Facts

As of 2:00 p.m. Thursday morning, 5,072 flights into, out of or within the U.S. have been delayed, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware, while 1,7967 have been canceled—more than double the number of flights canceled on Wednesday (595).

It comes as Winter Storm Elliott ravages the Great Plains with heavy snowfall and winds, causing the National Weather Service to issue a hazardous travel warning and prompting airlines to start offering travel waivers for affected passengers and allowing people to change their flights for free.

So far, the hardest hit airport has been Chicago O’Hare International, which reported 250 canceled and 167 delayed departing flights (40% overall), as well as 282 canceled and 189 delayed arriving flights (45%).

The next worst is Denver International Airport, which as of 2 p.m. reported 241 and 205 delayed canceled departing flights (46%) and 264 canceled and 183 delayed arriving flights (47%).

Key Background

Several state governors have issued states of emergency in anticipation of the storm, with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) warning, “this is going to be really dangerous,” and urging residents to “stay inside and hunker down, hopefully with your family, for the Christmas holiday.” The National Weather Service has also issued winter storm warnings and advisories for cities throughout the Great Plains, Midwest and Northeast, including St. Louis, Buffalo, Detroit and Chicago.

What To Watch For

Meteorologists expect the storm to bring blizzard conditions in the Midwest throughout the day Thursday and into Friday, with wind gusts up to 55 mph in places like Chicago. Places from Kansas City to Michigan could also be hit by a so-called bomb cyclone (a rapidly intensifying storm), bringing heavy rain and low visibility. Forecasters at Accuweather warned of poor driving conditions throughout the Great Plains from Oklahoma and Arkansas north to Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. On Friday, the storm is expected to hit the Northeast, bringing heavy rain and wind to much of New England and New York, followed by freezing temperatures, potentially creating a sheet of ice on the roads. Forecasts show Great Lakes states will receive as much as a foot of snow, according to the Weather Channel, while Buffalo, New York could see the worst of it, with forecasts indicating a “once-in-a-generation storm” that could bring up to three feet of snow.

Further Reading

Winter Storm Elliott: What To Know About Travel Warnings, The ‘Bomb Cyclone’ And How To Change Your Airplane Ticket (Forbes)

Winter storm to evolve into bomb cyclone as it produces a blizzard in Midwest (Accuweather)

Live updates: Powerful winter storm to bring heavy snow and ‘dangerous’ cold, forecasters warn (NBC News)