International
Winter weather in US Northeast leads to thousands of flight delays, cancellations
- Up to foot of snow fell in New York state
- Officials warn of treacherous road conditions
A mix of snow and ice bore down on the US Northeast early Saturday, disrupting post-holiday weekend airline traffic and prompting officials in New York and New Jersey to issue weather emergency declarations even as the storm ebbed by mid-morning.
People in much of the Northeast were advised to stay off the roads because of treacherous conditions, with states of emergency declared in New York and New Jersey.
By early Saturday, about six to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimetres) of snow had fallen across an area from Syracuse in central New York to Long Island in the southeast of the state, as well as Connecticut, said Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center near Washington, DC.
New York City received two to four inches of snow overnight, with 4.3 inches reported at Central Park, Oravec said, the most since 2022.
"The good news is that the heaviest snow is done," he said. "Only a few flurries remain this morning and those will taper off by the afternoon."
Another 2,100 international flights that had been scheduled to depart or land in the US Saturday were cancelled, FlightAware reported.
Representatives from American Airlines, United Airlines and JetBlue Airways told Reuters that the carriers had waived change fees normally charged to rebook for passengers whose travel plans may be affected by weather-related disruptions.
New Jersey and Pennsylvania issued commercial vehicle restrictions for some roads, including many interstate highways.