More than 2,270 US flights were canceled due to heavy snow and freezing temperatures on Thursday (local time) ahead of the Christmas holidays, reports CNN. Snow, rain, ice, wind and freezing temperatures are disrupting air travel plans and bus and Amtrak passenger train service across the United States. Airlines canceled more than 2,270 US flights as of 6 p.m. Thursday and nearly 1,000 for Friday, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.
85 flights had already been canceled for Saturday. Delays were even more widespread on Thursday: more than 7,400 as of 6 p.m., CNN reported. The effects are being felt hardest in Chicago and Denver, where nearly a quarter of arrivals and departures — hundreds of flights at each airport — were canceled, FlightAware data show.
On Thursday, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport was delayed an average of 159 minutes — about three hours — because of snow and ice, according to a notice from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The temperature dropped to 9 degrees Fahrenheit (-13 Celsius) in O’Hare around 5 p.m. local time. The National Weather Service reported snow and freezing fog. The FAA said planes departing at Dallas Love, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver and Minneapolis airports are required to be sprayed with de-icing fluid for a safe journey, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, many airlines have issued in-season exemptions, allowing passengers to change their itineraries without penalty during short windows. For those whose flights are still scheduled to depart, the Transportation Security Administration is recommending travelers arrive at the airport earlier than usual, reports CNN.
It is not just flights that are being affected by the Bam cyclone. Greyhound issued a service alert Thursday, warning customers that travelers in the Midwest could experience travel delays or cancellations over the next two days.
Greyhound, the largest provider of intercity bus service, has listed more than a dozen cities that have been affected, from West Virginia to Minnesota, reports CNN. Amtrak has also been forced to delay or cancel passenger service for some lines in the Midwest and Northeast.
In its notice, Amtrak said, “Customers with reservations for trains that are being modified will generally be accommodated on trains at the same departure time or on another day”, reported CNN.
Amtrak will waive the additional fee for customers wishing to change their reservation during the revised schedule by calling our reservation center at 1-800-USA-RAIL.”