Thousands of Cancellations, Delays Already Stacking Up from Winter Storm Jonas

22 January 2016 10:16pm

Winter Storm Jonas is already making its presence felt as the snow and cold weather are expected to travel up the East Coast, resulting in major travel delays and potential cancellations.

According to Weather.com, Jonas was already starting to dump snow, freezing rain and sleet on southern states like Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina. The winter storm is expected to continue on its northerly course along the East Coast into Friday night and through Saturday.

The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings—expected harsh winter conditions, strong winds and coastal flooding—for major metropolitans along the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, including Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City effective through Sunday morning.

The storm is already forcing airlines to make changes to schedules, as American Airlines announced it would cancel most of its flights in the Mid Atlantic and the Northeast in preparation for Jonas. The company is offering impacted customers full refunds or fee-free ticket changes.

As of 10 a.m. ET on Friday, tracking service FlightAware was reporting a total of 3,295 delays and another 2,792 cancellations for Jan. 22. The outlook for Saturday is also bleak, as the website reported 2,584 flights were already canceled for Jan. 23.

For those trying to use Amtrak to travel during the weekend, the rail company has announced it will be operating a modified schedule in the Northeast. Amtrak is encouraging passengers to check the company’s official website and mobile app for any delays or cancellations over the coming days.

The Acela Express, Northeast Regional, Keystone Service are scheduled to continue operating, but are running modified schedules. Service through the Northeast Corridor will operate normally Friday, Jan. 22, but many routes have been canceled or truncated for Saturday. For a full list of delays and cancellations for Amtrak, check the company’s official website.

Source: Travel Pulse