Winter weather in US North-east leads to thousands of flight delays, cancellations

NEW YORK – A mix of snow and ice bore down on the US North-east early on Dec 27, disrupting post-holiday weekend airline traffic
and prompting officials in New York and New Jersey to issue weather emergency declarations even as the storm ebbed by mid-morning.

People in much of the North-east were advised to stay off the roads because of treacherous conditions, with states of emergency declared in New York and New Jersey.

“The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority, and I continue to urge extreme caution throughout the duration of this storm,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement.

By early Dec 27, about 15cm to 25cm of snow had fallen across an area from Syracuse in central New York to Long Island in the south-east of the state, as well as Connecticut, said Mr Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center near Washington, D.C.

New York City received 5cm to 10cm of snow overnight, with 11cm reported at Central Park, Mr Oravec said, the most since 2022.

“The good news is that the heaviest snow is done,” he said. “Only a few flurries remain this morning, and those will taper off by the afternoon.”

But the effects were being felt by travellers.

More than 14,400 domestic US flights were cancelled on Dec 27 or delayed as of mid-morning, with the majority in the New York area, including at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport, according to the tracking site FlightAware.

Another 2,100 international flights that were scheduled to depart or land in the US on Dec 27 were cancelled, FlightAware reported.

Representatives from American Airlines, United Airlines and JetBlue Airways told Reuters that the carriers waived change fees normally charged to rebook for passengers whose travel plans might be affected by weather-related disruptions.

Ice storm warnings and winter weather advisories were also posted for most of Pennsylvania and much of Massachusetts.

New Jersey and Pennsylvania issued commercial vehicle restrictions for some roads, including many interstate highways.

“This storm will cause dangerous road conditions and impact holiday travel,” New Jersey’s acting Governor Tahesha Way said in a statement. “We are urging travellers to avoid travel during the storm and allow crews to tend to roads.” REUTERS