Winter Storm Blair Causes Widespread Travel Cancelations

Winter Storm Blair is throwing travel plans into chaos as it tears across the United States, with thousands of flights and trains either canceled or delayed.

Blair is bringing an unpleasant mix of freezing temperatures mixed with snow and ice across the country, with Mid-Atlantic states some of the hardest hit. As many as 60 million Americans are currently under storm warnings, with thousands of flights canceled and even more delayed over the weekend. As of Monday morning, Travel and Tour World reported that up to 25,294 flights have been delayed and 2,792 itineraries have been canceled. The number is only expected to rise over the next few days.

On Sunday, a total of 1,812 flights were canceled. That was a marked increase over Friday and Saturday, which saw 146 and 323 cancellations, respectively. As of noon Eastern time on Monday, there have already been 1,319 flight cancellations. The storm is also impacting train travel, with Amtrak canceling itineraries to and from Washington, D.C., New York, and Boston. There are also partial cancellations affecting other Northeast routes to and from Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

Experts are warning people to exercise extreme caution while driving, especially in places where Blair is already causing havoc on the roadways. Snow and freezing temperatures dipping into the single digits in some parts of the country are expected to create especially hazardous conditions for drivers over the next week. Kansas City has seen a particularly high number of traffic accidents, with weather commentators likening the highways to “skating rinks.”

Residents nationwide are likewise being prepped for potential outages and other disruptions related to the storm, with experts warning everyone who can stay inside to hunker down. If you have to leave the house for any reason, be sure to wear multiple layers of warm clothing.

Major airlines are offering varying degrees of compensation for customers who have had their flights canceled. 

Delta is offering affected passengers free rebooking on flights to and from 12 airports in the central U.S. through Jan, 6; Southwest is waiving itinerary change fees at 14 affected airports across the country; United is offering vouchers to most passengers flying in or out of Mid-Atlantic and central U.S. airports; and American is allowing travelers in 45 affected cities to rebook their flights at no fee through Jan. 9.