A snowstorm swept through New York City and the surrounding areas, leading to the cancellation of numerous flights and stranding frustrated travelers at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Friday night.
This winter weather has thrown a wrench into post-Christmas travel plans, leaving tired vacationers sprawled on the airport floor alongside their families and bags, anxiously waiting for news about their rebooked flights.
“I came to New York for a Home Alone-style Christmas by myself,” shared Daniel Selmon, 31, who has been stuck at JFK since his flight to Denver was nixed early Friday. “I wanted to explore. I went shopping, visited Times Square, and enjoyed the hustle and bustle. The next flight isn’t until 6 a.m. on the 28th. So, I’ve been here for about eight hours and still have another 30 to go.”
Forecasters are predicting that parts of the region could be buried under nearly a foot of snow by Saturday afternoon, prompting more than half of New York State to declare a state of emergency.
The rapidly worsening storm has resulted in 158 canceled flights and 204 delays from JFK, the highest numbers of any airport in the U.S. as of Friday.
“I honestly have no idea when I’ll be able to return to Brazil,” said Mara Pimenta, who flew from Sao Paulo to New York with her husband and young children for a festive Christmas break.
She added, “I’m waiting alongside someone who mentioned there might be a flight on the 29th. But I haven’t received any real updates. All I have is a ton of luggage and two kids.”
A frustrated mother reported that her family found their Latam Airlines flight canceled upon arriving at the airport, with the check-in counter completely deserted—no notice from the airline whatsoever.
To complicate things further, their hotel is now fully booked.
“Is it too much to ask for airlines to provide customer support during a weather emergency?” questioned Chaitanya Singh, sitting on the airport floor while cradling his 9-month-old baby. His Air France flight to India had been canceled, and although it was transferred to Etihad Airways, he realized his baby’s ticket wasn’t credited, and reaching anyone from either airline proved impossible.
“I went to Terminal 1 looking for someone from Air France, but it was like a ghost town,” Singh lamented. He further expressed, “It’s really disappointing because it was our daughter’s first chance to meet her grandparents.”
Meanwhile, Newark International Airport reported a hefty 107 cancellations, with LaGuardia International following close behind at 90. Combined, both airports experienced 335 flight delays.
As the storm is expected to ramp up overnight, the National Weather Service in New York warned of heavy rainfall—over 2 inches per hour in some areas—and issued a severe storm warning from 4 p.m. Friday until 1 p.m. Saturday.
“New Yorkers should be prepared,” advised Mayor Eric Adams. “If you can, avoid driving. If travel is necessary, use public transit and factor in extra time.”
“Stay alert to changing conditions and consider subscribing to Notify NYC for real-time updates.”
