Powerful winter storm roils travel across the US, leading to thousands of flight cancellations
Feb 23, 2026, 6:48 AM | Updated: 4:18 pm
Pedestrians cross 42nd Street near Bryant Park during a snow storm, Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
NEW YORK (AP) — Air traffic is coming to a standstill in much of the northeastern U.S. as a powerful storm brings heavy snow and strong winds across the region.
Thousands of flight disruptions piled up Monday morning. As of around 9:30 a.m. ET, nearly 5,500 flights in or out of the U.S. were canceled, according to online tracker FlightAware. Hundreds of others were delayed.
New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport had the highest numbers of cancellations Monday — followed by airports in Boston, Newark, New Jersey and Philadelphia.
The National Weather Service called travel conditions “extremely treacherous” and “nearly impossible” in areas hit hardest by the storm.
Beyond air traffic, millions of people are stuck at home under road travel bans amid blizzard warnings. On Sunday night, cellphones across New York City received wailing push alerts announcing a ban on non-emergency travel on all streets through noon Monday, due to “dangerous blizzard conditions.” Rhode Island and New Jersey implemented similar restrictions.
