Flight Cancellations as blizzard Winter Storm Juno Intensifies

(Estados Unidos).- A statewide travel ban is now in effect for Connecticut. In addition, a travel ban will go into effect at 11 p.m. for all of New Jersey and 13 counties in New York State including Bronx, Dutchess, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, Ulster, and Westchester. Massachusetts and Rhode Island will both enact statewide travel bans at 12 a.m. Jan. 27. Amtrak has heavily modified service to the Northeast corridor and has suspended service in the New England region for Jan. 27. According to FlightAware, 2,837 flights were cancelled for Jan. 26 and a further 4,312 have been cancelled for Jan. 28.

As Winter Storm Juno bears down on the Northeast, bringing major snow and blizzard conditions to millions across multiple states, the amount of flight cancellations and airport operations shut down is reaching epic numbers. According to FlightAware.com, 2,637 flights within, into or out of the U.S. have already been canceled for Tuesday, while Monday’s total sits at 2,328 as of 10 a.m. ET. As expected, New York’s LaGuardia Airport and other major airports along the I-95 corridor have seen a majority of the cancellations thus far. Meanwhile, any flights that haven’t already been canceled will likely experience significant delays.

In response to the forecast, many airlines have waived change fees for passengers in the storm’s path. A comprehensive list is available via USA Today. United has already said it plans to suspend operations late Monday into Tuesday at its Newark hub and at both New York City airports, JFK and LaGuardia. American said early Monday that it too will suspend operations beginning late Monday through Tuesday at Philadelphia, Newark Liberty, New York LaGuardia, New York JFK and Boston.

The airlines may have their hands forced by the airports as well. According to FlightAware, as of 1:10 p.m. EST, 87 percent of departures and 82 percent of arrivals have already been cancelled for Tuesday flights. LaGuardia, Philadelphia are all in the high-50 and low-60 percent cancels for Tuesday, but that will likely increase throughout the day Monday. What was first a clipper-type system will transform into a major coastal storm late Monday into Tuesday, according to Weather.com. As the storm intensifies along the Atlantic Coast, the heaviest snowfall is expected in eastern Pennsylvania and throughout New Jersey and New England.

While heavy snowfall will make travel extremely difficult, it’s the anticipated blizzard conditions that are expected to create «life-threatening» travel conditions across the region, according to a National Weather Service bulletin. The blizzard warning will go into effect beginning at 1 p.m. ET on Monday and will continue through late Tuesday night. It’s estimated that around 28 million people reside in the affected region. The combination of snow and wind will make driving extremely diffiult and dangerous in places as well, with coastal flooding creating additional problems for residents and travelers alike. (travelpulse.com)