A potent winter storm swept across significant portions of the United States from Friday evening into Saturday, unleashing heavy snowfall and causing widespread travel disruptions. Thousands of residents experienced power outages as the severe weather impacted holiday journeys and daily life.
The storm’s fury was most keenly felt in the US Northeast and the Great Lakes regions. Flight operations faced significant challenges, with thousands of flights experiencing delays and cancellations. Flight-tracking data indicated that by Saturday afternoon, over 5,580 flights were delayed and at least 860 were completely canceled. Major airports in the New York metropolitan area were among the hardest hit, with flight arrivals at John F. Kennedy International Airport facing average delays of approximately two hours on Saturday morning. Winter storm alerts were issued for a broad area, stretching from New York to Philadelphia, advising travelers and residents to exercise extreme caution.
This powerful storm arrived just before what was anticipated to be the busiest travel day of the holiday season, with millions expected to take to the skies on Sunday. Beyond air travel, the storm also caused significant power disruptions. In Michigan, over 30,000 homes and businesses lost electricity on Saturday morning due to ice accumulation on trees and power lines. Officials in New York and New Jersey had proactively declared states of emergency, urging travelers to monitor weather updates and road conditions, and advising residents to follow safety guidelines.
