More than 1,500 flights canceled as winter storm Devin hits US holiday travel | Travel News

More than 40 million Americans are under winter storm warnings or weather advisories as heavy snowfall is expected.

Thousands of flights have been canceled and delayed in the United States due to Winter Storm Devin, airline monitoring website FlightAware reports, dealing a major blow to air travel during the peak holiday period.

A total of 1,581 flights “within, to or from” the United States were canceled and 6,883 delayed as of 4 p.m. US Eastern Time (9 p.m. GMT) on Friday, according to FlightAware, which describes itself as the world’s largest flight tracking data company.

The delays and cancellations came as the U.S. National Weather Service warned of Winter Storm Devin causing “hazardous travel conditions” and heavy snow forecast in parts of the Midwest and Northeast.

As of Friday, more than 40 million Americans were under winter storm warnings or weather advisories, and another 30 million were under flood or storm advisories in California, where a so-called atmospheric river caused a deluge of rain.

New York City, the largest city in the United States, was bracing for up to 250 mm (10 inches) of snow overnight Friday, the most expected in four years. Temperatures are expected to drop over the weekend when an arctic blast is expected to descend from Canada.

New York’s John F Kennedy Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and LaGuardia Airport have warned travelers of possible delays or cancellations. More than half of the flight cancellations and delays occurred at these three airports, according to FlightAware.

JetBlue Airways canceled 225 flights Friday, the most among U.S. carriers, followed closely by Delta Air Lines, which canceled 212 flights. Republic Airways canceled 157 flights, while 146 were canceled by American Airlines and 97 by United Airlines.

“Due to Winter Storm Devin, JetBlue has canceled approximately 350 flights today and tomorrow, primarily in the Northeast where JetBlue has a large operation,” a JetBlue spokesperson told the Reuters news agency.

On the west coast of the United States, powerful winter storms brought the wettest Christmas season to Southern California in 54 years.

There was still a risk of flash flooding and mudslides Friday despite rain slowing around Los Angeles, the National Weather Service warned.

Firefighters rescued more than 100 people Thursday in Los Angeles County after a helicopter pulled 21 people from stuck cars, officials said.