ALL RIGHT, RACHEL, THANK YOU. WELL, RIGHT NOW, 20 STATES ARE UNDER A STATE OF EMERGENCY AND OVER 190 MILLION PEOPLE ARE UNDER A WINTER WEATHER ALERT. THIS AS A MASSIVE WEEKEND WINTER STORM STRETCHES ACROSS THE COUNTRY FROM NEW MEXICO TO MAINE. THERE ARE ROUGHLY 730,000 POWER OUTAGES NATIONWIDE, AND MORE THAN 14,000 FLIGHTS INTO OR OUT OF THE U.S. SUNDAY HAVE BEEN CANCELED, INCLUDING ALL FLIGHTS AT RONALD REAGAN WASHINGTON NATIONAL AIRPORT AND MOST FLIGHTS AT PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. SUNDAY WILL BE CONSIDERED ONE OF THE BIGGEST WEATHER RELATED FLIGHT CANCELLATION DAYS IN AMERICAN HISTORY. ABC’S OLIVIA OLIVIA RUBIN HAS A LOOK AT THE IMPACT NATIONWIDE. MORE THAN HALF THE COUNTRY’S POPULATION UNDER A WINTER WEATHER ALERT. TEMPERATURES PLUNGING FROM THE SOUTHWEST TO THE NORTHEAST. NEW YORK’S GOVERNOR, NOT MINCING WORDS. TRULY, NEW YORK STATE IS LOCKED INTO A GRIP HERE. SORT OF. AN ARCTIC SIEGE HAS TAKEN OVER OUR STATE AND MANY OTHER STATES ACROSS THE NATION. THE SNOW FELL EARLY SUNDAY MORNING ALONG THE I-95 CORRIDOR. RATES OF TWO INCHES PER HOUR REPORTED FROM PHILADELPHIA TO NEW YORK. IN MASSACHUSETTS, BOSTON IS BRACING FOR MORE THAN A FOOT OF SNOW. THE GOVERNOR SAYING STAY AT HOME AND OFF THE ROADS. JUST DO WHAT YOU CAN. HUNKER IN, WATCH THE PATS, LOOK AFTER YOUR NEIGHBORS, TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER, AND RIDE THIS ONE OUT. IN NORTH CAROLINA, THE STREETS OF RALEIGH PRACTICALLY EMPTY, COVERED IN SNOW. ICY, SLICK ROADS IN NEW MEXICO AND TEXAS. DALLAS DEALING WITH TEMPERATURES DROPPING INTO THE TEENS. PARTS OF THE SOUTH DIVIDED THE WARM SIDE OF THE STORM ON ALERT FOR TORNADOES IN PARTS OF GEORGIA, ALABAMA, AND FLORIDA. ABOVE IT, AN ICE STORM. TREE LIMBS BROKEN FROM THE WEIGHT IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI AND NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. BUT THE COLD, NOT SO BITTER FOR KIDS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE RARE CONDITIONS MONDAY. SCHOOL CLOSURES WIDESPREAD, BUT NEW YORK CITY STUDENTS WILL HAVE TO ATTEND A REMOTE LEARNING. THIS MAY DISAPPOINT SOME STUDENTS, SO IF YOU DO SEE ME, FEEL FREE TO THROW A SNOWBALL AT ME. AND NOW WE COULD SEE ONE OF THE NEW RECORDS FOR FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS IN A SINGLE DAY DUE TO WEATHER. ALREAD
Major storm disrupts flights, including 27% cancellations at PBIA
Cancelled flights are most since pandemic in 2020
Updated: 1:52 AM EST Jan 26, 2026
Air travel headaches are mounting as a massive winter storm of cold and snow moves across a major swath of the United States on Sunday, including 27% cancellations at Palm Beach International Airport where the high was 87 degrees.More than two-thirds of the nation, from Maine to New Mexico, are under weather alerts, including 2 feet of snow and temperatures in the teens. More than 1 million customers lost power Sunday.The Federal Aviation Administration posted a massive list of airport closings, ground stops and de-cicing, mainly at small airports.LaGuardia in New York closed just after 1 p.m. and opened at 9 p.m., but no flights took off. The city was hit with a foot of snow.All of Reagan National’s flights for Sunday were cancelled at 10 a.m. with several inches of snow in Washington, D.C.The number of cancellations of outgoing and incoming flights in the United States was 11,466, the most cancellations since the pandemic, according to FlightAware at 11 p.m.On March 20, 2020, there were 12,143 cancellations when 22,751 were scheduled, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.There also were 4,105 cancellations Saturday and 690 Friday. Airlines have proactively canceled 3,331 flights Monday and 34 Tuesday.There also were 5,302 delays nationwide.Palm Beach International Airport had canceled 154 flights after 22 Saturday. There also were 31 delays Sunday.Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International listed 317 cancellations, which represents 30% of all scheduled flights. Also, there were 168 delays.At Miami International, the busiest airport in Florida, there were 27cancellations and 359 delays. The cancellations were 16% of all flights.Orlando International, the second busiest airport in Florida, reported 449 cancellations and 230delays. The cancellations represent 35% of all flights.Major airports were heavily affected in New York, Washington, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta and Charlotte.Dallas-For Worth had 617 cancellations at 63%, Atlanta 615 cancellations at 55%, Charlotte with 596 at 88%, John F. Kennedy in New York with 466 at 80%, Newark Liberty with 444 at 84%, LaGuardia with 436 at 91%, Reagan National iwith 421 at 99%, Boston with 338 at 66%, Philadelphia with 326 at 94%, Chicago O’Hare with 322 at 27%.O’Hare is the busiest airport in the nation and Atlanta the second busiest.American Airlines, with major hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, canceled 1,814 flights at 56%. Delta, with hubs in Atlanta, Detroit and Minneapolis, canceled 45%, or 1,481 flights.Southwest Airlines canceled 1,346 flights, or 34% of the total, including at Dallas Love Field, which canceled 56% of departures and 47% for all airlines. Other Southwest hubs are in Chicago and Baltimore/Washington.United Airlines, with hubs in Chicago, Newark and Washington/Dulles, canceled 1,017 flights, which is 36%.JetBlue, with hubs in New York and Boston, canceled 72% of its flights at 591.Even when the weather improves, it takes days and even weeks for the carriers to get back on schedule, Vikrant Vaze, a Dartmouth professor specializing in commercial aviation logistics, told The Associated Press.“Because there are so many different airlines involved, I think it’s going to come down heavily to the individual airline’s network structure, the extent of hit that each of them has had, and just the intrinsic capacity of the airlines to handle these massive disruptions,” he said.If your flight is canceled, you’re entitled to a full refund or rebooking on another flight. Meals and hotels also may be covered for longer delays, the U.S. Department of Transportation said on its website.A consumer is also entitled to a refund if the airline significantly delays a flight or significantly changes a flight and the consumer chooses not to travel or accept travel credits, vouchers or other compensation offered by the airline.Flight change fees are usually waived during nationwide storms.Travelers are advised to check with their airline ahead of time.
PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. —
Air travel headaches are mounting as a massive winter storm of cold and snow moves across a major swath of the United States on Sunday, including 27% cancellations at Palm Beach International Airport where the high was 87 degrees.
More than two-thirds of the nation, from Maine to New Mexico, are under weather alerts, including 2 feet of snow and temperatures in the teens. More than 1 million customers lost power Sunday.
The Federal Aviation Administration posted a massive list of airport closings, ground stops and de-cicing, mainly at small airports.
LaGuardia in New York closed just after 1 p.m. and opened at 9 p.m., but no flights took off. The city was hit with a foot of snow.
All of Reagan National’s flights for Sunday were cancelled at 10 a.m. with several inches of snow in Washington, D.C.
The number of cancellations of outgoing and incoming flights in the United States was 11,466, the most cancellations since the pandemic, according to FlightAware at 11 p.m.
On March 20, 2020, there were 12,143 cancellations when 22,751 were scheduled, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
There also were 4,105 cancellations Saturday and 690 Friday. Airlines have proactively canceled 3,331 flights Monday and 34 Tuesday.
There also were 5,302 delays nationwide.
Palm Beach International Airport had canceled 154 flights after 22 Saturday. There also were 31 delays Sunday.
Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International listed 317 cancellations, which represents 30% of all scheduled flights. Also, there were 168 delays.
At Miami International, the busiest airport in Florida, there were 27cancellations and 359 delays. The cancellations were 16% of all flights.
Orlando International, the second busiest airport in Florida, reported 449 cancellations and 230delays. The cancellations represent 35% of all flights.
Major airports were heavily affected in New York, Washington, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta and Charlotte.
Dallas-For Worth had 617 cancellations at 63%, Atlanta 615 cancellations at 55%, Charlotte with 596 at 88%, John F. Kennedy in New York with 466 at 80%, Newark Liberty with 444 at 84%, LaGuardia with 436 at 91%, Reagan National iwith 421 at 99%, Boston with 338 at 66%, Philadelphia with 326 at 94%, Chicago O’Hare with 322 at 27%.
O’Hare is the busiest airport in the nation and Atlanta the second busiest.
American Airlines, with major hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, canceled 1,814 flights at 56%. Delta, with hubs in Atlanta, Detroit and Minneapolis, canceled 45%, or 1,481 flights.
Southwest Airlines canceled 1,346 flights, or 34% of the total, including at Dallas Love Field, which canceled 56% of departures and 47% for all airlines. Other Southwest hubs are in Chicago and Baltimore/Washington.
United Airlines, with hubs in Chicago, Newark and Washington/Dulles, canceled 1,017 flights, which is 36%.
JetBlue, with hubs in New York and Boston, canceled 72% of its flights at 591.
Even when the weather improves, it takes days and even weeks for the carriers to get back on schedule, Vikrant Vaze, a Dartmouth professor specializing in commercial aviation logistics, told The Associated Press.
“Because there are so many different airlines involved, I think it’s going to come down heavily to the individual airline’s network structure, the extent of hit that each of them has had, and just the intrinsic capacity of the airlines to handle these massive disruptions,” he said.
If your flight is canceled, you’re entitled to a full refund or rebooking on another flight. Meals and hotels also may be covered for longer delays, the U.S. Department of Transportation said on its website.
A consumer is also entitled to a refund if the airline significantly delays a flight or significantly changes a flight and the consumer chooses not to travel or accept travel credits, vouchers or other compensation offered by the airline.
Flight change fees are usually waived during nationwide storms.
Travelers are advised to check with their airline ahead of time.