Winter Storm Fern is sweeping across large swaths of the United States, disrupting air, road, and rail travel just as millions prepare for late January trips.

With the National Weather Service warning of dangerous ice, heavy snow, and life-threatening wind chills from the Southern Plains through the Midwest and into the Northeast, American Airlines and other major carriers are taking aggressive steps to limit chaos in the days ahead.

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Storm Fern’s Expanding Footprint Across the Country

Forecasters say Winter Storm Fern will continue to intensify from Friday, January 23, through the weekend, bringing a volatile mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain across more than two dozen states. Hazardous bands of wintry precipitation are expected to stretch from the Southern Rockies and Plains through the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys and up into the Mid-Atlantic and New England, creating treacherous conditions for both ground and air travel.

Major population centers including Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma City, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., New York City, and Boston are under various winter storm alerts or watches as the system marches east. Officials are warning of widespread power outages, impassable roads, and periods of near-zero visibility as snow and ice combine with gusty winds. Emergency declarations have already been issued in several states, with more local governments placing crews and equipment on standby for rapid response.

What makes Fern particularly disruptive for travelers is the timing and geographic breadth of the storm. Instead of a quick-moving system, Fern is expected to linger through the weekend, with snow and ice impacting different regions in waves. That extended window significantly increases the likelihood of cascading delays, aircraft and crew dislocations, and complex recovery efforts for airlines trying to restart normal operations next week.

Flight Cancellations Mount as Airlines Move Proactively

By Friday morning, more than a thousand flights across the United States had already been canceled, with thousands more delayed as airlines adjusted their schedules ahead of the worst of the weather. The greatest concentration of disruptions is focused on airports in North Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and parts of the Midwest, where snow and ice are expected to be most intense.

Carriers including American, Delta, United, Southwest, Spirit and JetBlue have issued broad travel advisories spanning much of the central and eastern United States. Many are taking the unusual step of encouraging passengers to move their trips entirely outside the storm window where possible, an indication that they expect operational challenges to linger for several days.

To reduce the risk of large numbers of travelers getting stranded at airports, airlines are leaning heavily on preemptive cancellations, scrubbing select flights in advance so they can keep remaining operations more manageable and predictable. While frustrating in the short term, this strategy has become standard during major storms, giving carriers time to reposition aircraft, protect crew duty schedules, and avoid dangerous last-minute decisions once conditions deteriorate.

How American Airlines Is Responding to Winter Storm Fern

American Airlines, the largest carrier at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, is at the center of Fern’s aviation impact and has moved quickly to adjust. The airline has issued a formal travel alert covering 34 airports in the path of the storm, primarily across Texas, the Southern Plains, the Mississippi Valley, and portions of the Southeast and Midwest. Customers whose itineraries fall within the advisory window from January 23 to January 25 are being offered flexible rebooking options.

According to American’s latest operational update, the airline is waiving change fees for affected customers and, in many cases, also waiving fare differences when travelers rebook in the same cabin and travel by the published deadline later this month. That means many passengers can move their travel dates at no extra cost, provided they stay within the specified rebooking period and route restrictions.

Behind the scenes, American says it is repositioning aircraft out of the storm’s direct path, aligning crew resources to meet complex scheduling rules, and reinforcing staffing at key hubs including Dallas Fort Worth and Charlotte. Operations teams are working around the clock to coordinate with airport authorities, air traffic control, and regional partners to ensure they can rebound quickly when conditions allow flights to resume more broadly.

The airline is also leaning on digital tools to manage the surge in customer inquiries. American is urging travelers to use its mobile app or official website to check flight status, accept automatic rebookings, or search for alternative routes. Those who prefer to speak with a representative can call reservations in the United States and Canada, though hold times are likely to increase during peak disruption.

What American’s Travel Waiver Means for Your Ticket

For travelers booked with American Airlines in impacted regions, the key protection is the winter weather travel alert and associated fee waivers. Generally, customers whose flights fall within the specified dates and travel to, from, or through listed airports can change their tickets one time without paying the usual change fee. Many travelers will also be able to avoid paying a fare difference if they travel on a new date within the rebooking window and remain in the same cabin on the same origin and destination pair.

Those details matter, because attempting to shift travel beyond the waiver’s eligible dates, changing your routing significantly, or upgrading cabins could still incur additional charges. American has published the list of covered cities and exact rules in its advisory and urges customers to confirm whether their itinerary qualifies before making changes. For passengers whose flights are outright canceled by the airline, American will typically offer rebooking on the next available flight or, if customers choose not to travel, a refund back to the original form of payment in line with federal regulations.

Travelers are also being encouraged to act early if they know they will not be able or willing to travel during the storm period. Seats on flights before the worst of Fern or on later recovery flights can fill quickly once waivers are announced, particularly on busy business and leisure routes. Moving proactively can provide more options, including better departure times and more favorable connections.

Wider Impacts on Trains, Roads, and Regional Airports

While airline cancellations are drawing much of the attention, Winter Storm Fern is disrupting nearly every mode of transport across the central and eastern United States. Amtrak has canceled or modified several long-distance routes, including services such as the Texas Eagle, City of New Orleans, Empire Builder, and Borealis on select dates from January 21 through January 24, as crews contend with snow-covered tracks, ice, and limited visibility.

On the roads, state transportation departments in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and into the Mid-Atlantic are bracing for a potent combination of freezing rain and snow. That mix significantly increases the risk of black ice, jackknifed trucks, and multi-car pileups. Officials are urging drivers to avoid nonessential travel, especially overnight and early-morning hours when temperatures are lowest and treatment chemicals are less effective. In many areas, commercial vehicle restrictions and reduced speed limits have been implemented on major interstates.

Smaller regional and municipal airports, which lack the deicing fleets and runway-treatment capabilities of large hubs, may see some of the most severe disruptions. Limited equipment often means longer turn times between flights or temporary suspensions of operations when snow or ice rates exceed their capacity to keep runways clear. That, in turn, can ripple through regional airline networks, delaying or canceling feeder flights that connect into major American Airlines and partner hubs.

What Travelers Need to Know Before Heading to the Airport

For passengers with upcoming flights on American Airlines or any other carrier through Monday, there are several practical steps that can reduce stress and the risk of getting stranded. First, travelers should check their flight status repeatedly in the 24 hours before departure. Fern’s path and intensity are still evolving, and airlines are adjusting their schedules in near real time as conditions change across different regions.

Second, customers should monitor whether their specific route is covered by American’s travel alert or a similar waiver from another carrier. Once a waiver is in place, the fastest way to make changes is usually through the airline’s app or website, where passengers can see a full range of alternate flights and confirm a new itinerary without needing to wait on hold. If your flight is canceled or significantly delayed, you are typically entitled to be rebooked, and in many cases may qualify for a refund if you decide not to travel.

Passengers heading to the airport despite marginal conditions should build in substantial extra time for security lines, deicing delays, and slow ground transportation. Traveling with essential medications, chargers, and a change of clothes in carry-on luggage is strongly advised, in case an unexpected overnight stay becomes necessary. Those with tight connections through storm-affected hubs such as Dallas Fort Worth may wish to proactively look for earlier departures or reroutes to reduce the risk of missed onward flights.

Understanding Your Rights if Your Flight Is Disrupted

Many travelers are unclear about what airlines are required to provide during weather-related disruptions. Under current U.S. rules, when a flight is canceled or experiences a substantial schedule change, passengers are generally entitled to a refund if they choose not to travel, even when the cause is a storm like Fern. This applies to both domestic and international itineraries originating in the United States when the airline cancels the flight or makes a significant adjustment.

American Airlines and its peers are not typically obligated to provide hotel accommodations or meal vouchers when cancellations are caused by weather rather than factors within the airline’s control. However, many carriers may offer goodwill gestures or discounts depending on the severity of the disruption and local circumstances. These policies vary by airline and sometimes by station, so travelers should review the specific guidance on their carrier’s website or speak with a gate agent for clarification.

For those who purchased travel insurance before Winter Storm Fern was a named event or widely forecast, certain policies may provide benefits for trip cancellation, trip interruption, or delay coverage. That can help offset costs such as extra hotel nights, meals, and alternative transportation if you are stuck mid-journey. Policies bought after widespread coverage of Fern began will often exclude this storm as a foreseeable event, underscoring the value of early planning.

Outlook for the Days Ahead

As of Friday, forecasts suggest that Winter Storm Fern will continue to affect large parts of the central and eastern United States into Monday, with the worst of the air travel disruption likely centered on the weekend. Once the storm exits New England and conditions stabilize, airlines including American will begin the process of rebuilding their schedules, returning aircraft and crews to their normal rotations, and clearing the backlog of displaced passengers.

That recovery phase can take anywhere from a day to several days depending on the scale of the disruption and the weather that follows. Clear, calm conditions make it easier for airlines to operate additional sections or larger aircraft to accommodate stranded travelers. However, lingering cold and icy conditions at airports can slow that progress, particularly at facilities with limited deicing capacity or runway treatment resources.

For now, American Airlines is urging customers to stay flexible, stay informed, and consider adjusting their plans to avoid the heart of Fern’s impact window. With proactive cancellations, expanded travel waivers, and rolling operational adjustments, the airline hopes to keep its network resilient while prioritizing safety. For travelers, the most important tools remain timely information, realistic expectations, and a willingness to pivot plans as the powerful winter storm continues its march across the country.