Topline
Major airlines have beefed up their travel alerts as Winter Storm Fern brings frigid temperatures, snow, freezing rain and dangerous wind gusts to an enormous portion of the country spanning from the Rockies to New England.
The U.S. is bracing for a winter storm that will bring snow, freezing rain and wind gusts to two-thirds of the country.
AccuWeather
Key Facts
As of 3:45 p.m. EST Friday, nearly 2,900 flights were delayed and over 500 were canceled in the U.S., according to data from FlightAware.
Airports reporting flight delays in the triple digits include Chicago O’Hare, Denver, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Dallas.
American Airlines and United Airlines, which operate major hubs at O’Hare, have tallied more than 300 flight delays each on Friday, while Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines had just over 250 each.
Delta Air Lines on Thursday afternoon said it was pre-emptively canceling flights at select airports in five states—Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas—in advance of the storm, calling the move “necessary … to ensure the safety of our customers and people.”
Delta issued a second travel advisory waiving change fees for passengers traveling through 45 airports in the Northeastern U.S. Saturday through Monday, in addition to an initial advisory issued Tuesday for passengers ticketed to fly through 41 airports in the South and Southeast Friday through Sunday.
United Airlines issued a new travel alert specifically for travelers ticketed to fly in, out or through Chicago O’Hare airport on Friday or Saturday, in addition to two previous alerts: one covering 35 airports across the Eastern U.S. for flights scheduled Saturday through Monday and another for 26 airports in the Southern U.S. affecting passengers flying Friday through Sunday.
American Airlines also issued a second travel alert for 35 airports in the Northeast for customers scheduled to depart Saturday through Tuesday, in addition to an initial alert covering 32 airports across the Southern and Mid-Atlantic regions for passengers scheduled to fly Friday through Monday.
Southwest Airlines expanded a travel advisory from 26 to 46 airports for passengers traveling Friday through Monday through the Southern and Mid-Atlantic regions.
JetBlue Airways has two travel alerts: the first waives change fees for passengers ticketed to fly through six airports in the South and Mid-Atlantic region Friday through Sunday and the second has been expanded to cover 12 airports in the Mid-Atlantic region for customers scheduled to fly Saturday through Monday.
Crucial Quote
“This winter storm will shut it all down,” said Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist for AccuWeather.
What To Expect From Winter Storm Fern
The National Weather Service (NWS) is predicting “a significant, long-duration” winter storm with heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain from the Southern Rockies to New England, lasting from Friday through Monday. From the Southern Plains to the Southeast, the storm is expected to cause “significant to locally catastrophic ice accumulations” with potentially long power outages, extensive tree damage, and “extremely dangerous or impassable travel conditions.” Even after the storm, communities from the Southern Plains to the Northeast will face “bitterly cold temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills” leading to “prolonged hazardous travel and infrastructure impacts.”
Big Number
50 below zero. That’s the windchill value—reflecting how cold it feels to a person outside—expected in parts of northern Minnesota and North Dakota.
What Travelers Should Do If Flying This Weekend
Check the airline app before leaving for the airport to verify that your flight is still departing on time. Apps like Flighty and FlightAware can alert travelers to delays before the airline notification rolls in. Is the last flight of your trip delayed? Mobile apps like Delta’s let travelers use a self-service standby feature to join available waitlists for alternative flights for the last leg of their trip. When rebooking, look for a very early flight. Flights in late afternoon are statistically more likely to be disrupted, as flight disruptions in the morning tend to cause a backlog that grows as the day wears on. Facing a really long delay? Get a refund. Those traveling within the U.S. who run into a flight delay of three hours or more and choose to pull the plug on their trip are entitled to receive a full refund for the unflown portion of their ticket, including ancillary fees like checked baggage charges.
Further Reading
As 170 Million Americans Brace For Major Storm, Trump Pushes Global Warming Skepticism (Forbes)
Winter Snowstorm: What To Expect If You’re Flying This Weekend—As Major Airlines Issue Waivers (Forbes)
