Thousands of US flights cancelled as winter storm approaches

WASHINGTON: Almost 4,000 flights were cancelled across the United States on Saturday ahead of a major winter storm, which has already caused widespread power outages as far west as Texas and threatens to bring heavy snow and freezing rain to eastern states.

The storm is expected to sweep across the eastern two-thirds of the country on Sunday and into next week, with dangerously cold temperatures.

The US National Weather Service warned of an unusually large and long-lasting winter event that could cause “crippling to locally catastrophic impacts,” including heavy ice accumulation in the southeast. Record cold temperatures and extreme wind chills are forecast to descend further into the Great Plains by Monday.

Calling the storms “historic,” President Donald Trump approved federal emergency disaster declarations for South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, and West Virginia.

“We will continue to monitor, and stay in touch with all States in the path of this storm. Stay Safe, and Stay Warm,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Several states and the District of Columbia have declared weather emergencies.

Flight tracking website FlightAware reported that more than 3,900 flights scheduled for Saturday had been canceled, while over 8,800 flights set for Sunday were also canceled. Major airlines warned passengers to expect abrupt schedule changes.

Delta Airlines said on Saturday that it was adjusting its schedules due to Winter Storm Fern, with additional cancellations in the morning affecting Atlanta and East Coast hubs, including Boston and New York City.

The airline said it was relocating staff from cold weather hubs to support de-icing and baggage operations at southern airports.

Electric grid operators across the U.S. stepped up precautions to avoid rotating blackouts. Dominion Energy, which operates in Virginia and oversees one of the world’s largest data center collections, said the storm could be one of the largest winter events to affect its operations if forecasts hold.

The approaching storm has raised concerns about travel disruptions, power outages, and public safety across large parts of the country.