Snow and rain associated with Winter Storm Mabel forced thousands of flight delays and cancellations at major U.S. airports across the Midwest and along the East Coast on Thursday.
Flight-tracking website FlightAware.com reported more than 5,700 delays and nearly 600 cancellations within, into or out of the U.S. as of 4 p.m. ET on Thursday. A majority of those cancellations were felt at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, which received several inches of snow.
Due to weather in the Chicago area, airlines at O’Hare are reporting avg delays of an hour + and have cancelled nearly 250 flights. For the most up to date flight info, please check directly with carrier.
— O’Hare Intl. Airport (@fly2ohare) February 13, 2020
A winter storm will slow down commuters this morning from the Great Lakes into parts of the Northeast: https://t.co/VcFRybGILP pic.twitter.com/j8x6mP68yb
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) February 13, 2020
Flights were also impacted at nearby Chicago Midway as well as Detroit Metropolitan Airport, among other airports across the region.
Meanwhile, soaking rain showers prompted significant flight delays and cancellations at some airports along the East Coast with weather impacts being felt from Charlotte, North Carolina to Boston. Charlotte Douglas International Airport saw nearly 80 flight cancellations and more than 600 delays while Reagan National Airport outside of Washington, D.C. had experienced 80 cancellations and over 300 delays as of Thursday afternoon.
It’s raining… it’s pouring… the weather in the D.C. area is soggy this morning, and some flights are being impacted. It’s always a good idea to check with your airline on any changes to flight status prior to coming to the airport.
— Reagan Airport (@Reagan_Airport) February 13, 2020
LaGuardia Airport experienced more than 400 delays and Boston Logan and Philadelphia International each reported over 240 flight delays on Thursday.
Weather conditions have caused LGA Airport flight disruptions. Check with your airline to determine the status of your flight. [86]
— LaGuardia Airport (@LGAairport) February 13, 2020
The Federal Aviation Administration had previously warned travelers of potential impacts at a handful of airports early Thursday and many affected airports wasted no time encouraging passengers to exercise patience and to check their flight status with their airline prior to arriving.
Traffic Report: could slow flights today at @BostonLogan, @DTWeetin, @fly2midway and @fly2ohare. A mix of could lead to delays at @EWRairport, @LGAairport and @JFKairport. could affect traffic into and out of @CLTAirport and @ATLairport. https://t.co/6SfCVdlLho pic.twitter.com/f3K8gjKNwl
— The FAA (@FAANews) February 13, 2020
Thursday’s weather comes just one week after Winter Storm Kade impacted thousands of flights across the country.