Snow snarls DC-area flights

Flights in the Washington, D.C., area have been snarled by the biggest snowfall on the city in two years, which has also closed schools and government offices in the capital region.

The majority of the cancellations Monday were at Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), which had 225 flights canceled and 477 flights delayed, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website.

At Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), 44 flights were canceled and 113 were delayed Monday. Another 63 flights were canceled at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) on Monday, and 321 flights were delayed, per FlightAware.

Some social media users noted delays and diversions as they sought to fly into or out of the D.C. area.

“How bad is the weather in DC?” a reporter for a D.C.-area local TV station posted Monday on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “Our pilot just flew us to Philly instead with no in flight announcement.”

Doug Kammerer, a meteorologist for NBC4 Washington, recorded his experience landing at DCA in a series of posts on X.

“Now just sitting on the tarmac,” Kammerer posted at one point last night. “Pilot said we were the last plane to land. Others now being diverted. Trying to get us a gate. Hope to see you for the 11. #SNOW”

Cancellations and delays continued Tuesday. At DCA, 153 flights had been canceled and 145 delayed as of 10:40 a.m. local time, according to FlightAware. 

“Good Tuesday morning!” DCA posted Tuesday on X. “We have two runways open with bare pavement on each (that’s a good thing). Several of today’s flights are canceled. Check with your airline to confirm flight status.”

BWI had 102 flights canceled and 95 delayed as of Tuesday morning, and IAD had 45 canceled and 119 delayed.

Many parts of the D.C. area are currently under a winter storm warning, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). 

“Dangerously cold wind chills are possible late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning, especially near and north of Highway 50,” the NWS said in a Hazardous Weather Outlook Tuesday.