As a significant blizzard looms, over 3,000 flights have already been canceled across New York City’s primary airports, with predictions of at least two feet of snow. Major airlines halted operations on Saturday at key airports like JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, Philadelphia, and Boston, anticipating hazardous conditions to hit the Northeast on Sunday. It’s likely that cancellations will rise even more once the snow begins, as reported by sources.
Airlines such as Delta, American, and United have canceled numerous flights in the New York City area, including at Boston’s Logan Airport, ahead of the impending nor’easter. JetBlue has trimmed its Sunday schedule by 40%. The airline is also reporting that 24% of its flights planned for Monday have been canceled.
Starting Sunday afternoon, American Airlines is set to suspend flights to LaGuardia, JFK, and Philadelphia, with hopes to resume services by Tuesday.
In a recent statement, the airline assured that its teams are prepared to restore operations at the impacted airports on Tuesday, February 24, once conditions permit. However, cancellations and delays could linger into Wednesday as airlines implement winter travel exemptions for the affected airports.
Forecasts indicate the storm, which is expected to unleash strong winds exceeding 90 mph and snowfall rates of up to three inches per hour, will impact over 30 million residents from Delaware and Maryland up through New York and Boston. This weather event poses risks of power outages and coastal flooding.
In preparation for the storm, New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County declared a state of emergency on Sunday morning, expecting 18 to 24 inches of snow in just the city alone.
AccuWeather’s senior meteorologist, Carl Erickson, referred to the storm as a major Northeast event, emphasizing the potential for fierce winds and perilous travel conditions.
A blizzard warning is active for New York City, Long Island, and New Jersey from 6 a.m. Sunday until 6 p.m. Monday. Heavy snowfall should continue into Monday morning but is expected to decrease by the late afternoon.
