A powerful winter storm that barreled across the United States Northeast and Great Lakes at the height of the post-Christmas rush brought air travel to a near standstill on Friday night and into Saturday, triggering thousands of flight cancellations and delays and leaving travelers stranded from New York City to Chicago and Detroit.

While snow tapered off and visibility improved in many areas by Saturday, the knock-on effects of aircraft and crew displacements kept disruption elevated throughout the day at some of the nation’s busiest hubs.

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Storm Devin Slams a Key Holiday Travel Window

The storm system, identified by some forecasters as Winter Storm Devin, swept into the Northeast late Friday, December 26, colliding with one of the busiest travel periods of the year as passengers returned home from Christmas or set out for New Year’s celebrations.

The National Weather Service warned of hazardous conditions from the Great Lakes through the northern mid-Atlantic into southern New England, with heavy, wet snow, bursts of sleet and pockets of freezing rain creating treacherous roads and reducing visibility around key airport corridors.

By Friday night into early Saturday, an estimated 1,500 flights had been canceled across the Northeast and Great Lakes, with thousands more delayed as airlines struggled to operate in rapidly deteriorating conditions.

Real-time data from flight tracking services showed the bulk of those cancellations clustered around the New York metropolitan area, Boston, Philadelphia, and major Midwest hubs that connect travelers onward to the region.

Officials in New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency on Friday to free up resources and give transportation agencies more flexibility to manage the storm.

Drivers across wide swaths of the region were urged to stay off the roads, even as many travelers found themselves racing against the weather to reach airports before cancellations and ground stops multiplied.

New York Area Airports Bear the Brunt

New York City’s three main airports emerged as some of the hardest-hit facilities nationwide. John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty all issued repeated weather alerts late Friday, warning passengers to check with airlines before heading to the airport as crews worked to keep runways and taxiways clear of heavy, wet snow and slush.

On Friday alone, JFK logged hundreds of cancellations and delays as snow intensified over the evening commute and into the night, while LaGuardia and Newark each saw more than 200 flights scrubbed at the peak of the storm.

Airlines preemptively canceled many departures to prevent aircraft from being stranded out of position and to reduce the risk of passengers being stuck onboard during lengthy tarmac delays.

By Saturday morning, as the storm’s heaviest snow bands moved offshore and conditions slowly improved, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey reported that operations were resuming but at reduced capacity.

Ground delays lingered at all three airports while crews continued deicing rotations, cleared ramp areas, and repositioned aircraft after a chaotic overnight period. Flight tracking data showed additional cancellations on Saturday as airlines attempted to untangle overtaxed schedules.

Travelers passing through the terminals described long lines at customer service counters, jammed phone and app rebooking systems, and scarce seating at gates as wave after wave of passengers waited for word on standby seats or newly rebooked itineraries. Many arriving flights that did land found their gates occupied, forcing extended waits on the taxiways as gate agents and ramp crews scrambled to make space.

Great Lakes and Northeast Corridors See Widespread Disruption

While New York drew the most attention, the broader Northeast and Great Lakes region experienced significant aviation impacts. Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Buffalo all reported weather-related delays and cancellations, particularly on regional and connection-heavy routes that feed into the East Coast.

The mix of snow and low clouds produced irregular visibility and required expanded separation between aircraft, further slowing operations.

In Boston, Logan International Airport reported dozens of cancellations and delays as bands of snow frequented the region and gusty winds complicated landing approaches.

Philadelphia International, which sits on a key north-south corridor, similarly saw schedules pared back as airlines focused on preserving core routes and consolidating lightly booked flights where possible.

The storm’s timing, coming immediately after Christmas and just days before New Year’s Eve, magnified its impact. Many families and international visitors had booked tight itineraries that left little room for weather-driven disruption, and airlines were already running near-capacity holiday schedules that offered limited slack for rebooking passengers whose plans had been upended.

When the Snow Eased but the Chaos Continued

By mid-morning Saturday, forecasters reported that the heaviest snow bands had largely moved away from the New York City region and much of southern New England.

Totals in parts of the city and surrounding suburbs came in somewhat below earlier high-end projections, with several locations recording between 3 and 5 inches, still enough to snarl road networks and slow ground handling at airports.

However, clearer skies did not translate into immediate relief for passengers. Airlines and airport officials emphasized that recovery from a storm of this scale lags the actual weather improvement by many hours, and sometimes a full day or more, as aircraft and flight crews must be returned to their scheduled locations.

Overnight, many planes and crew members had been diverted or held at outstations to avoid getting trapped in the worst of the conditions, leaving Saturday’s early morning banks short of both equipment and staffing.

As a result, travelers on Saturday encountered a patchwork of service levels. Some flights operated close to schedule, particularly mid-day departures after deicing backlogs eased.

Others remained severely delayed or canceled outright, especially early morning and late-night services that depended on aircraft rotations from the previous day. Passengers booked on multi-leg itineraries through the Northeast and Great Lakes found that even if their first flight departed, a canceled connection downline could still strand them en route.

Airport officials and airline representatives urged passengers to arrive early, build in longer connection times where possible, and rely on official airline apps and text alerts for the most current information. With call centers overwhelmed, digital self-service tools and alert systems emerged as the fastest way to secure seats on the dwindling number of available flights.

Airlines Juggle Cancellations, Waivers and Limited Seats

Major U.S. carriers responded to the storm with a combination of preemptive cancellations, flexible change policies and selective schedule thinning designed to protect safety while preserving as much capacity as possible heading into what is expected to be a high-volume Sunday and Monday travel window.

Several airlines expanded previously announced weather waivers to cover airports across the Northeast and Great Lakes, allowing customers to change their travel dates or reroute without incurring typical change fees.

However, while fee waivers offered some financial relief, they did not solve the core challenge: a shortage of available seats during one of the year’s busiest weeks. Flights over the holidays routinely depart full or nearly full, and moving passengers with canceled tickets to later days often means waitlists and standby lines rather than confirmed rebookings.

Some travelers reported being offered itineraries that would get them to their destinations days later than planned or, in a few cases, only after routing them through multiple alternate hubs.

Budget-conscious passengers also grappled with additional out-of-pocket costs. Because the disruption was weather-related, federal rules do not require airlines to provide hotel rooms or meal vouchers when storms force cancellations.

While some carriers voluntarily offered limited assistance on a case-by-case basis, many travelers were left to pay for unexpected overnight stays near airports or to scramble for last-minute ground transportation when flying home no longer appeared feasible.

Industry analysts note that the storm’s impact is another stress test for a system operating near capacity throughout the holiday season. With airlines flying tighter schedules and carrying leaner spare fleets than before the pandemic, any major weather event in a critical region such as the Northeast can quickly reverberate across the national network.

On the Ground: Travelers Reroute, Rebook and Improvise

Inside terminals from New York to Boston and Chicago, the storm played out in familiar scenes of frustration and improvisation. Families with young children camped out on terminal floors or huddled near charging stations, while solo travelers worked laptops from crowded gate areas as they waited for updates.

Restaurants and concessions reported surging demand throughout Friday night and Saturday morning as passengers stranded by cancellations sought to fill long hours between rebooking attempts.

Some travelers opted to abandon air plans altogether, renting cars with strangers to share long drives, or booking intercity rail and bus tickets as last-resort options. Rental car counters at several Northeast airports reported limited availability by Saturday morning as demand spiked.

Passenger rail routes along the Northeast Corridor and bus services between major cities also saw increased bookings from those determined to reach home before the start of the new workweek.

Others chose to extend holiday stays rather than travel amid the uncertainty. With airlines indicating that operations would remain constrained through at least Saturday night, a number of passengers said they rebooked for Sunday or Monday proactively, hoping to avoid the worst of the cascading delays.

Travel advisors emphasized the importance of flexibility in such situations, particularly for leisure travelers not bound by fixed start dates for work or school.

For those already abroad when the storm hit, the disruption added complexity to transatlantic and transpacific journeys. Some long-haul flights bound for New York or Boston were rerouted to alternate U.S. gateways to avoid the storm’s peak, with onward connections handled once weather improved. Others operated but faced lengthy ground holds for deicing and gate access, stretching total journey times by many hours.

What Travelers Should Expect Next

With skies clearing over much of the Northeast by Saturday afternoon and crews making progress on snow removal at airports and along major roadways, transportation officials signaled cautious optimism that conditions would continue to improve through the weekend.

However, they also warned that lingering disruptions from aircraft and crew imbalance would continue to ripple through the network even as weather hazards diminished.

Sunday is forecast to be one of the busiest travel days of the year in the United States, with the Transportation Security Administration expecting several million passengers to move through security checkpoints nationwide.

That surge in demand will come just as airlines are working to reset their operations after the storm, raising the likelihood that some routes will remain oversubscribed and that rebooked passengers will compete for limited open seats on already-full flights.

Travel experts advise that passengers with flexibility consider shifting their plans to less crowded days early next week or, where possible, to alternate airports that were less affected by the storm.

They also encourage travelers to confirm flight status repeatedly in the 24 hours before departure and to monitor weather conditions not only at their origin and destination, but also at any connecting hubs and along their aircraft’s prior legs.

For those who must travel in the next 24 to 48 hours, building in additional time for security, check-in and potential re-screening is advisable. Airports in New York, Boston and other major Northeast cities are likely to remain busy through the New Year holiday, and passengers may encounter residual lines at customer service counters from travelers still working to reassemble disrupted itineraries.

FAQ

Q1: How many flights have been affected by the storm so far?
Estimates from flight tracking services indicate that from Friday evening into Saturday at least 1,500 flights were canceled across the Northeast and Great Lakes, with several thousand more delayed as the weather peaked and airlines adjusted schedules.

Q2: Are New York area airports fully operational again?
JFK, LaGuardia and Newark resumed operations on Saturday, but they are running at reduced capacity, with ongoing delays and some additional cancellations as airlines catch up on deicing, aircraft repositioning and crew scheduling.

Q3: If my flight was canceled due to weather, am I entitled to a hotel or meal vouchers?
In most cases, airlines are not required to provide hotel rooms or meal vouchers when cancellations are caused by weather, since storms are considered outside their control. Some carriers may offer assistance voluntarily, but it is not guaranteed under current federal rules.

Q4: Can I get a refund if my flight was canceled?
Yes, if your flight was canceled and you choose not to travel, U.S. regulations generally entitle you to a full refund of your ticket, even if it was a nonrefundable fare. If you accept a rebooked itinerary or a travel credit instead, refund options may vary by airline.

Q5: What is the best way to rebook after a cancellation?
Airlines advise using official mobile apps, websites and text alerts as the fastest way to rebook or join standby lists. Airport customer service counters and phone lines can quickly become overwhelmed during major weather events, leading to long waits.

Q6: Are airlines waiving change fees because of the storm?
Several major U.S. carriers have issued weather waivers for affected airports in the Northeast and Great Lakes, typically allowing passengers to change travel dates or routes without change fees, as long as they travel within a specified time window and fare rules are met.

Q7: Will Sunday and Monday travel still be affected?
Yes, lingering disruptions are likely through at least Sunday and possibly into Monday, especially on heavily booked holiday routes. Even if weather improves, aircraft and crew repositioning can take time, and some flights may remain delayed or canceled as operations normalize.

Q8: Should I arrive earlier than usual at the airport?
With crowds, longer lines at check-in and security, and the potential for gate changes or re-screening, arriving earlier than usual is advisable in the affected regions. Many airports recommend arriving at least two to three hours before domestic departures during peak holiday periods.

Q9: Is it better to drive instead of fly while airlines recover?
That depends on distance and local road conditions. In some cases, driving a few hours to an alternate airport or directly to your destination may be more reliable, but officials caution that roads can remain slick and congested after a major storm. Travelers should monitor updated road and weather advisories before deciding.

Q10: What can international travelers do if their U.S. connection is disrupted?
International passengers whose connections are affected should contact their airline as soon as possible to explore rerouting options, including alternate U.S. gateways. Staying in close contact through airline apps and monitoring gate information on arrival can help reduce missed opportunities for rebooking and securing hotel accommodations if needed.