Topline
Thousands of flights were delayed in the U.S. as a snowstorm in the Northeast snarls air travel—especially in the New York City area, where over 150 flights have been canceled across its three primary airports.
A snowstorm has snarled air travel in New York City, while western New York braces for even heavier snowfall later on Sunday.
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Key Facts
Nearly 4,000 flights were delayed in the U.S. on Sunday as of around 4 p.m. EST, according to data from online flight tracker FlightAware, while at least 438 were outright canceled.
LaGuardia International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport accounted for the most cancellations in the U.S. on Sunday as of 4 p.m., with 77 flights cancelled out of LaGuardia and 72 cancelled from JFK.
Newark Liberty International Airport was leading the country with flight delays amid the storm, with 203 delays as of just after 4 p.m.
Airports in Florida also saw significant delays, including Orlando International Airport, where the National Weather Service issued a freeze warning.
Where Is The Northeast Storm Hitting?
The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for much of the Northeast on Sunday, just one day after a previous storm brought some snow to the parts of the eastern seaboard. New York City, northern New Jersey and southern Connecticut could see between two to four inches of snow on Sunday, the NWS said. Winter weather could continue until midnight, according to forecasters, potentially causing slippery road conditions. Philadelphia and the surrounding area could see up to two inches of additional snow, while Boston could see two to four inches and snowfall continue through 7 a.m. Monday morning. The storm is expected to move out over the Atlantic Ocean by Monday afternoon,
Winter Storms Across The Country
Other parts of the country could see even more intense snowfall on Sunday night. The NWS issued a winter storm warning for much of upstate New York along the Great Lakes. Forecasters are predicting Buffalo could see between two to three feet of lake effect snow on Sunday, combined with wind gusts with speeds up to 45 mph. Starting around 4 p.m. EST, the region could see periods of snowfall up to four inches per hour, making travel “impossible,” according to the NWS. A blizzard warning was also issued for parts of northwestern Minnesota and northeastern North Dakota, where an additional inch of snow and winds up to 60 mph could cause “potentially life-threatening” travel conditions.
Tangent
A rare coating of snow blanketed parts of the Florida Panhandle on Sunday morning. Snow was spotted in places like Pensacola, the Tallahassee Democrat reported, while Marianna, a town near the Georgia border, saw 1.3 inches accumulate. The rare sight was actually the second year in a row parts of northwest Florida received measurable snowfall, after a historic blizzard in January 2025 smashed the state’s snowfall record.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharyfolk/2026/01/18/snowstorm-snarls-air-traffic-in-new-york-city-heres-where-flights-are-getting-canceled/
