Second Nor’easter Causing Travel Headaches in Northeast

For the second time in less than a week, the Northeast United States is preparing to endure a nor’easter threatening to dump heavy snow and high winds on a region still recovering from the last winter storm.

The new weather system has been dubbed Winter Storm Quinn.

Unlike the previous storm, meteorologists expect far more snow between Wednesday and Thursday as temperatures are lower in impacted cities, including Philadelphia, New York City, Hartford, Albany, Portland and Boston.

Though high winds from the previous storm knocked out power for more than two million people, the forecast this time calls for more snow, which could result in additional power outages and tree damage, according to Weather.com.

For travelers heading to or leaving impacted regions, prepare for delays and cancellations. Airlines have already started issuing travel alerts and waiving change fees, while commuter rail and roadways are preparing for unfavorable conditions and closures.

American Airlines is waiving change fees for travelers flying to or from airports in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Passengers will have to rebook their journey by March 11 to be eligible for the free changes. Other airlines offering similar change fees waivers include Delta, JetBlue, Spirit and United.

As for those who fly with Southwest, they will be able to alter their travel plans free of charge, but the carrier expanded its list of impacted airports to include Maine’s Portland International, New Hampshire’s Manchester Regional and Washington D.C.’s Reagan National and Dulles International.

Travelers planning to fly to or from the impacted areas in the northeast are being advised to continue checking the status of their flights as the storm is expected to cause delays and cancellations.

Government officials in all impacted states are warning about the treacherous conditions expected along major roadways, including the I-95 corridor. In addition, rail companies such as Amtrak are preparing for potential issues associated with the storm.

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