Flight cancellations approach 2K as winter storm targets Midwest

There were nearly 2,000 flight cancellations Friday across the United States as a winter storm targets the Midwest, bringing blizzard conditions and bitterly cold temperatures.

The airport with the most incoming and outgoing cancellations is Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. More than 400 outgoing flights have been canceled and more than 380 flights heading into O’Hare Friday have been canceled. Some arriving flights have been delayed an average of two hours, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said.

Chicago’s Midway International Airport is seeing the second-most cancellations, with 140 outgoing flights and 136 incoming ones canceled.

The Denver, Milwaukee and Seattle airports are also experiencing high numbers or delays and cancellations as the storm sweeps across the Western and Midwest U.S.

“Today we have thunderstorms that are stretching from Kentucky to Southern Mississippi. These thunderstorms are moving east and they will impact Memphis, Atlanta and Charlotte as they move further east. Also in the Midwest, we have snow and Detroit, Minneapolis, O’Hare and Midway and they are impacting airport operations for those airports,” the FAA said in a video on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

According to the flight-tracking site FlightAware, Southwest Airlines has the most disruptions with 386 canceled flights and 676 delays nationwide.

Blizzard and winter storm warnings have been issued across parts of the West and much of the Midwest beginning Friday into Saturday as arctic temperatures mix with several inches of snow and strong winds.

High winds are expected to increase throughout the weekend and create life-threatening conditions in Iowa, just days before the state’s caucuses are set to begin. The caucuses are predicted to be the coldest on record.

Significant snowfall is expected in Wisconsin and Michigan. Green Bay and other parts of Wisconsin along Lake Michigan could get 10 inches to 15 inches of snow. Some parts of eastern Michigan can see up to 6 inches falling at a rate of one inch per hour, the National Weather Service predicted.

Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport is also experiencing some delays and cancellations, as the region braces for wind chill temperatures below zero and is experiencing strong wings in the coming days. The Southwest Power Pool, which oversees electric reliability for 14 states in the region, declared advisories for energy operations since there is a higher-than-normal risk of power outages.

“Sunday is going to be pretty much a repeat of Saturday, and on Monday, there’s going to be a line of thunderstorms from DFW to Virginia that could produce some snow,” the FAA said.

Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg posted online warning travelers about the ongoing flight disruptions.

“DOT will continue our work to support passengers & promote resiliency in the airline system,” Buttigieg posted on X, the platform previously known as Twitter. “If you’re flying, be sure to check with your airline for info on cancellations and delays.”

— Updated at 3:22 p.m.