Thousands of flights canceled as winter storm marches across US | US weather
The late-winter storm continued its destructive, foundational march across the eastern United States; Thousands of flights were canceled or delayed as strong winds and a partial government shutdown delayed travelers from passing airport security scanners.
Flight delays and cancellations have increased at some of the nation’s largest airports, including New York, Chicago and Atlanta. As of the afternoon, flight delays in and out of the USA totaled 9,112, while the number of cancellations was 4,763. According to FlightAwarea flight tracking site.
Storm system crashed 36 inches of snow The National Weather Service warned Monday that the storm in the Midwest would later hit the east coast with dangerously high winds and “the potential to produce strong, long-track hurricanes.”
The high risk of severe weather extends from southern Pennsylvania to central South Carolina, including Washington D.C., Baltimore, Richmond and Raleigh, while “dangerously hot conditions” threaten to shatter records in the Southwest this week, AccuWeather said.
“This massive storm poses winter and spring hazards simultaneously,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Adam Douty said in an email. “From blizzards in the Midwest to severe storms in the East and strong winds sweeping through dozens of states, more than 200 million people could be affected.”
Air passengers said they were brought down unexpectedly. Kelly Price, who wanted to return to Colorado from Florida, told The Associated Press that her Sunday night flight wasn’t canceled until early Monday.
“The only place we could sleep by then was on the airport floor. So we’re all tired and irritable,” he said, adding that the nearest flight he and his family could book wouldn’t depart until Tuesday afternoon.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered ground stops at Hartsfield-Jackson and Charlotte Douglas airports, as well as ground delays at JFK and Newark Liberty, citing severe weather conditions early Monday.
The storms came as airport security guards missed their first paycheck because of a slow-moving political dispute that triggered a partial government shutdown affecting only the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Transportation Security Administration.
This is the third shutdown in less than a year in which TSA workers have been temporarily left unpaid. When the government reopens, employees will have to wait for their back pay.
Some airports have reported longer security lines due to staffing shortages as more TSA workers take second jobs, fail to fuel up for work or leave the profession altogether. Homeland Security said more than 300 TSA agents have resigned since the start of the shutdown.
Aaron Barker, a local leader with the American Federation of Government Employees, said many TSA workers are “dealing with eviction notices, vehicle seizures, empty refrigerators and overburdened bank accounts.” at a press conference Outside of Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta.
“Obviously the officers were very angry,” Barker said. “And we’re not just talking here in Atlanta; we’re talking across the country.”
But perhaps they are not as angry as the disturbed travelers. Some airports are advising passengers to arrive hours before departure for flights that may be canceled due to weather-related scheduling issues.
Travelers departing from Louis Armstrong airport in New Orleans on Sunday and Monday were advised to arrive at least three hours early “due to the effects of the partial federal government shutdown,” the airport said in a statement to X.
