Travel Trouble in the U.S.: Airlines Cancel Flights as ‘Winter Storm Fern’ Slams the Country
Major U.S. airlines have begun canceling flights and warning travelers of widespread travel disruptions as a powerful winter storm––dubbed Winter Storm Fern by forecasters––moves across the United States, threatening heavy snow, sleet, freezing rain and dangerous ice from the South into the Northeast.
Airlines including Delta, American, Southwest, United and JetBlue have issued travel waivers, allowing passengers to change flights without penalty, and in some cases offering automatic rebooking.
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Thousands of Flights Already Disrupted
Flight-tracking services show that thousands of flights have already been canceled or delayed:
- Nearly 6,000 flights have been canceled through Sunday with numbers climbing as the storm advances.
- Delta has proactively canceled flights at airports in five states, including in Tennessee and North Carolina.
- Major hubs like Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport are seeing some of the highest rates of disruption, with hundreds of flights scrubbed.
Airlines are also warning travelers to expect delays even where flights are still scheduled, as snow and ice slow ground operations and complicate de-icing procedures.
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Storm Impacts: Snow, Ice, Dangerous Conditions
Meteorologists and weather services warn that the storm will bring:
- Heavy snowfall across parts of the Midwest and Northeast
- Freezing rain and sleet through the South and Southeast, creating hazardous road and airport conditions
- Dangerous ice accumulations that can knock out power and disrupt both air and ground travel.
Much of the eastern U.S. could see conditions not seen in several years, with airports bracing for continued weather impacts into early next week.
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Advice for Travelers
Airlines are urging passengers to:
- Monitor flight statuses online or via apps
- Reschedule flights in advance where possible
- Prepare for longer waits and potential weather-related delays at airports.
With the storm affecting such a large swath of the country, ripple effects are expected through the airline network, meaning delays and cancellations could also affect flights well beyond the immediate storm zone.
This developing winter weather scenario has already grounded significant portions of the U.S. travel network and may continue to disrupt plans for millions of travelers over the weekend and into early next week.