Air travel across the United States hit serious turbulence Monday after a powerful storm system forced thousands of flight cancellations and delays nationwide.
According to flight tracking site FlightAware, 3,573 flights destined within, into, or out of the United States had been canceled as of 2 p.m. EDT. Delays were also stacking up quickly, with 6,577 flights reported behind schedule as severe weather spread across multiple regions, according to Reuters.
Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport reported the highest number of cancellations in the country. Data showed 277 arriving flights and 219 departing flights were called off as conditions worsened.
Forecasters warned that the storm system could bring dangerous weather across the eastern United States. The National Weather Service said, “Multiple rounds of severe storms through this evening will yield potential for scattered to widespread damaging winds and a few strong tornadoes from the Carolinas into the Mid-Atlantic States.”
The agency also noted the scale of the threat. “As of 12:30p ET, more than 34 million people are under tornado watches from Florida to the Northeast.”
While the East braces for damaging winds and possible tornadoes, the Upper Midwest is dealing with intense winter weather. The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center reported that blizzard conditions continued across parts of the region, with 25 to 35 inches of snow recorded across southeastern Minnesota, central Wisconsin, and northern Michigan as of Monday morning.
The Federal Aviation Administration also confirmed that “severe weather” in the eastern U.S. was causing widespread flight delays and cancellations as airlines scrambled to adjust schedules.
Officials are urging travelers to check their flight status before heading to the airport as conditions continue to shift.
