Thousands of flights delayed and canceled as New York braces for deep snow
New York, New York - Airlines canceled more than 1,000 US flights during the peak Christmas travel period on Friday, with severe winter storm warnings and heavy snow forecast across parts of the Midwest and northeast.
New York, the country's largest city, was set to receive up to 10 inches of snow overnight, with temperatures dropping to below freezing and the chilly weather continuing into the weekend.
At least 1,191 flights had been canceled, with 3,974 delays, as of 1:00 PM Eastern time Friday, the FlightAware website said.
The National Weather Service predicted snowfall across the upper Great Lakes region through the day, with the storm's focus moving towards the northeast.
"Road conditions will be treacherous for those traveling back from the holiday," it warned.
New York Mayor Eric Adams said a winter storm warning was in effect, and that city crews were deployed to plow roads.
Airports in New York and Chicago were near the top of FlightAware's rankings on its "Misery Map," which tracks the spread of flight delays and cancelations.
New York area airports accounted for 785 flight cancelations, according to the website.
Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire