A powerful winter storm sweeping across the United States has created widespread travel chaos, with thousands of flights canceled or delayed and numerous Amtrak routes disrupted.
Winter Storm Blair is wreaking havoc from Illinois to the Mid-Atlantic states. The storm has pummeled the region with a hazardous mix of snow, ice and plummeting temperatures, creating treacherous road conditions and blizzard-like weather.
Airlines have canceled nearly 2,000 flights within, to or from the U.S., with an additional 2,400 flights delayed. Southwest Airlines led cancellations with around 360 flights, followed by American Airlines and Republic, each with 176 canceled flights.
Airlines have responded by allowing travelers to rebook flights without incurring change fees. For those caught up in the chaos, new regulations passed recently mean passengers with cancellations or significant delays will now receive automatic cash refunds from the airlines.
Amtrak routes have also been affected by the severe weather. While the high-speed Acela service continues to operate between Boston and Washington, D.C., other routes, including those between Washington and New York as well as cities in the Mid-Atlantic region, have been canceled.
Winter Storm Blair is expected to push into the Atlantic on Tuesday, and a deep freeze is predicted as far south as Florida.
What cities are the most affected by the winter storm?
Certain airports around the country are known for disruptions around the holiday season, but Winter Storm Beryl is making things a whole lot worse for some airports. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has been hit the hardest with approximately 250 outbound flights and 200 inbound flights canceled. Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport ranked second in outbound cancellations, with 110 flights grounded. Washington Dulles International Airport and St. Louis Lambert International Airport followed closely, each reporting more than 90 canceled departures.
The storm also set daily snowfall records in cities from Kansas to West Virginia. Kansas City, Missouri, recorded 11 inches of snow, marking its fourth-highest daily snowfall total ever. In Cincinnati, Monday’s snowfall reached 4.2 inches, breaking the city’s previous daily record of 3.5 inches set in 1981.