A powerful winter storm continues to batter the eastern third of the United States, leaving over a million homes and businesses without power across eight southern states, Reuters reported. Winter Storm Fern forced airlines to cancel more than 10,000 flights on Sunday alone – making it the most disruptive single-day weather event for aviation since the start of the pandemic, as reported by Newsweek.
The storm has spread a mix of heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain from the Ohio Valley and mid-South to New England, with bitter Arctic cold gripping much of the country east of the Rockies. Reuters reports that the National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings affecting around 118 million people across the United States, with widespread travel disruptions expected to persist.
President Donald Trump has approved federal emergency disaster declarations in more than a dozen states as response teams work to manage the ongoing storm. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, speaking on Fox News Sunday Briefing, called it a “unique” weather event, explaining that the weight of accumulated ice will continue to strain power lines, even if they haven’t failed yet.
Hardest-Hit Regions Face Power Outages And Transportation Standstills
The brunt of the storm’s impact is currently being felt across multiple southern states, where more than 1 million homes and businesses lost electricity at the height of the storm on Sunday, with Tennessee bearing the greatest burden of energy cuts. The National Weather Service announced that “a significant winter storm is underway, bringing widespread heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain from the Southern Rockies to New England through Monday. Extremely cold air will follow, prolonging dangerous travel and infrastructure impacts into next week,” per Newsweek.
The aviation system has been particularly crippled, with the National Airspace System Status listing 30 airports that were closed as of Sunday afternoon. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport announced on its official X account, “ALERT: Airlines have canceled all flights at the airport today. Check with your airline for confirmation and rebooking options. Please stay home and off the icy roads.”
Record-Breaking Flight Cancellations Create Nationwide Travel Chaos
Sunday’s flight cancellations reached historic levels, with more than 10,000 U.S. flights canceled – part of over 12,000 cancellations across the weekend as the storm crossed the country, according to FlightAware data. The disruptions have been concentrated at major hubs, with airports like Philadelphia International leading with 94 percent of departures canceled. New York’s LaGuardia and JFK, Newark Liberty, and Washington’s Reagan National have also experienced massive disruptions as snow, sleet, and ice blanketed the region.
Aviation analytics firm Cirium confirmed that, as of Sunday morning, the storm is the highest-cancellation event since the pandemic began. Airlines have been proactively thinning schedules and moving aircraft to unaffected airports to speed recovery once conditions improve, having learned from previous operational meltdowns.
American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, and United Airlines have all issued travel waivers allowing customers to change plans without fees, according to airline advisories. Delta Airlines stated on its website Sunday: “Delta teams are actively monitoring weather conditions in the Northeast as well as at the airline’s largest hub in Atlanta. Due to proactive schedule adjustments, current morning flights are operating as planned. We remind customers to monitor their flight status closely via the Delta app or Delta.com before arriving at the airport. Delta has issued travel waivers that provide flexibility for customers to adjust their flights at no additional cost in the Delta app or at Delta.com.”
Essential Advice For Travelers Navigating Storm Disruptions
Travelers whose flights were canceled and who chose not to travel are entitled to full refunds, including for bag fees and seat upgrades, regardless of the cause of the cancellation, according to federal consumer rules cited by the Associated Press. Airlines have advised that disruptions will likely linger into Monday as carriers reset aircraft and crew positions, though early totals showed far fewer cancellations than Sunday.
For time-sensitive travel, experts recommend that companies consider shifting meetings online or diverting travelers to rail routes in the Northeast Corridor where possible. The Department of Homeland Security has emphasized the prolonged nature of this weather event, with Secretary Noem noting that even after precipitation ends, “it’s going to stay cold for a period of time,” which will continue to create hazardous conditions. Travelers are strongly advised to check airline alerts, utilize available waivers to rebook, and prepare for ongoing delays as operations gradually resume.
