This weekend, a powerful winter storm blanketed large parts of the Great Lakes and Northeast with heavy snowfall and sleet, wreaking havoc on travel plans and causing power outages. The storm started on Friday evening and continued into Saturday morning.
As the storm rolled in, the number of delayed flights skyrocketed to over 6,500, with around 900 cancellations reported, according to FlightAware. The airports in the New York City area, including JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark, were particularly hard-hit, alongside ongoing disruptions reported at Boston Logan International Airport. On Friday alone, over 8,500 flights were delayed and 1,700 were canceled.
Morning Delays at Major Airports
On Saturday morning, passengers at JFK and LaGuardia experienced delays of up to two hours, reported the Federal Aviation Administration.
Walking through LaGuardia, the display boards highlighted red cancellation messages, reflecting the tough weather conditions. Outside, the airport’s aprons were thickly covered with snow, making it difficult to see any parked aircraft. Despite these setbacks, the travelers seemed to be managing their frustrations well.
Among the waiting passengers was Felicia Reich, who noted that her flight to Fort Lauderdale had been delayed by an hour. “I figured this would happen,” she shared, warmly bundled in her winter attire.
A Busy Travel Weekend Ahead
Transportation Security Administration estimates 2.86 million travelers are expected on Sunday, marking one of the busiest travel days of the holiday season, fueling the storm’s disruptive impact.
“We were really looking forward to the snow,” remarked Sarah Matthews, who traveled from Australia. “But being delayed on the last day isn’t ideal. Still, we’ll make the best of it,” she added cheerfully.
Meanwhile, over at Newark Airport, travelers mingled under the festively decorated Christmas tree, sharing their own stories of anticipated journeys—even amidst the snow chaos. John Hildebrandt commented, “I just want to escape this snow and head back to Vegas. Fingers crossed for no more delays.”
Snow continued to pour down in the New York City metro and northeastern New Jersey Saturday morning, although the intensity seemed to lessen in other parts of the Northeast, according to the National Weather Service.
As tree branches and power lines in Michigan succumbed to the icy weather, more than 30,000 households were without power as of Saturday, as per poweroutage.us.
In preparation for the expected snowfall, NYC workers had been salting roadways and getting their plows ready in the days leading up to the storm’s arrival.
In Central Park, New York City recorded just over four inches of snow, the biggest accumulation since January 2022, although it was still below expectations. In Westchester County, snow blowers could be heard clearing sidewalks as some areas recorded nearly 6 inches of fresh snow.
Connecticut reported the highest snow totals with slightly over 8 inches in some areas, and Hartwick, New York, received more than 11 inches.
This news piece has been updated with the latest details.
Contributors to this report include Chris Warren, Maria Sole Campinoti, Yan Kaner, Taylor Romine, Meteorologist Chris Dolce, and Andrew Freedman from CNN.
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