US winter storm triggers over 2,100 flight cancellations

A winter storm sweeping the US South and a deep freeze across the eastern US led to 2,122 flight cancellations by 2 p.m. New York time on Saturday. Airports in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, and Raleigh-Durham were among the most impacted. Weather alerts extend from southern Texas to Massachusetts, with temperatures 20–25°F below normal and many daily records at risk. While the storm is expected to move offshore, cold conditions may continue into next week, with additional winter systems possible into mid-February.

A broad winter storm crossing the US South, combined with a deep freeze across the eastern United States, has led to widespread air travel disruption. By 2 p.m. New York time on Saturday, 2,122 flights into, within, or out of the US had been canceled. Airports in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, and Raleigh-Durham were among the hardest hit locations for cancellations.

Weather warnings span southern Virginia, eastern Tennessee, the Carolinas, and northeastern Georgia. Forecasts call for 6 to 8 inches of snow in some areas and wind gusts up to 45 mph, with forecasters cautioning that blizzard conditions could develop along North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Freeze and extreme-cold alerts cover a broad swath from southern Texas to Massachusetts, with temperatures 20–25°F below normal for more than a week and up to 186 daily temperature records at risk. Power outages exceeded 194,000 early Saturday, mainly in Louisiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi.

The storm is expected to track offshore, potentially bringing around 3 inches of snow to Cape Cod while sparing much of the Northeast from heavier impacts. Nonetheless, forecasters indicate that below-normal temperatures are likely to persist into next week, and additional winter systems could affect travel through mid-February. In Florida, below-freezing temperatures are forecast in Polk County, the state’s largest orange-producing region.

Saturday’s cancellations mark a second consecutive weekend of notable travel disruption attributed to winter weather, though not on the scale of the previous weekend, when more than 10,000 flights were canceled. Travelers with upcoming plans should expect ongoing operational challenges as the cold pattern lingers and further systems potentially develop. Specific airline and airport advisories were not provided, but disruption levels suggest continued schedule adjustments as conditions evolve.