More than 50 flights canceled and 1,400 delayed as winter storms hit U.S.

More than 1,400 fights were delayed in the U.S., while at least 56 were canceled as Thanksgiving weekend travelers faced unseasonably cold and snowy weather in large parts of the country.

Travel was complicated on Thursday due to wintery storms that blanketed parts of the East Coast and northeastern U.S., with an Arctic blast expected to produce heavy snowfall in some ares bordering the Great Lakes over the weekend.

Flight Cancelations/Delays Thanksgiving Weekend 2024

While it is unclear how much of a role weather played, flight tracking website FlightAware reported on Thursday that 56 flights had been canceled across the country on Thanksgiving, while another 1,458 were delayed just after 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Meanwhile, FlightAware’s “MiseryMap” showed that 133 of the delays and six cancellations had taken place since 4 p.m. on Thursday at the following airports:

• New York City’s JFK International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport had 22 delayed flights combined
• Boston Logan International Airport had four flight cancellations and three flight delays.
• A total of 14 flight delays were reported at Washington, D.C.-area airports, which include Dulles International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
• Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport had a combined eight flight delays and one flight cancellation.
• Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport had three flight delays.
• Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport reported seven flight delays.
• Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Chicago Midway International Airport shared five flight delays.
• 15 flight days were reported at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport.
• Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field had a combined four flight delays.
• 13 flight delays were shared between Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport.
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport reported one flight delay.
• Six flight delays were reported at Denver International Airport.
• Seattle–Tacoma International Airport saw one flight cancellation and five flight delays.
• Salt Lake City International Airport had five flight delays.
• San Francisco International Airport, Oakland International Airport and San Jose Mineta International Airport shared a total of 13 flight delays.
• There were nine delayed flights at Los Angeles-area airports, which include LAX, Hollywood Burbank Airport, Ontario International Airport, John Wayne Airport and Long Beach Airport.

How to Prepare for Holiday Thanksgiving Weekend

Travelers should check with their individual airlines and airports for confirmation of any current or upcoming delays. Experts advise arriving at airports earlier than usual and preparing for potential disruptions by having flexible travel plans when possible.

Weather is expected to continue to be cold and stormy in many parts of the country in the days after Thanksgiving. Regardless of weather concerns, holiday weekend travel is expected to be busier than ever, with the AAA estimated that a record-breaking 80 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles.