Winter Storm Fern wreaked havoc across 34 states with snow and ice on Sunday, leading to the cancellation of over 11,000 flights and leaving more than a million people without power. Winter weather warnings are still in effect for Monday.
As snow and sleet blanketed more than two-thirds of the country, FlightAware reported over 11,601 flight cancellations by Sunday evening.
The number of cancellations quickly approached the record set on March 30, 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, with 12,143 flights canceled.
The frigid weather and drop in temperatures turned fatal, with at least two men in Louisiana succumbing to hypothermia due to the storm, according to the state’s Department of Health.
The storm-related death toll rose to seven, including five individuals in New York who perished from extreme cold even before the snowfall began.
American Airlines and Delta Air Lines were compelled to cancel nearly half of their flights on Sunday, with both carriers scrapping over 1,400 trips each.
LaGuardia Airport in New York had 436 outgoing flights canceled, while JFK International Airport canceled 462 departures.
Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey canceled 84% of its flights, with 444 outbound trips affected.
Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport bore the brunt of the storm, with 597 flights canceled.
The heavy snowfall also prompted the cancellation of all 820 flights at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC.
Stay updated with The Post’s live coverage of Winter Storm Fern
The flight cancellations extended to the west, with 92 outgoing flights scrapped at LAX, as per FlightAware.
In addition to the cancellations, there were 16,009 flight delays reported for flights in and out of the US, according to FlightAware.
The powerful storm also caused widespread power outages, leaving more than 1 million customers without electricity on Sunday, according to PowerOutage.us.
Tennessee reported over 300,000 outages, while Mississippi and Louisiana each had more than 140,000 customers affected.
Other states experiencing significant power outages included Texas, Kentucky, Georgia, West Virginia, and Alabama.
The outages prompted Energy Secretary Chris Wright to issue emergency directives for Texas and mid-Atlantic grid operators to ensure power plant operations during Winter Storm Fern.
“As Winter Storm Fern brings extreme cold and dangerous conditions to the Mid-Atlantic, maintaining affordable, reliable, and secure power in the PJM region is non-negotiable,” Wright stated.
Eighteen states have declared states of emergency due to the storm, with 12 states activating National Guard troops for assistance, according to National Guard Bureau chief general Steven Nordhaus.
Over 190 million Americans are under Winter Weather Alerts as the storm is expected to bring heavy snow and ice from Arizona to Maine.
The National Weather Service’s forecast predicts heavy snow from the Ohio Valley to the Northeast, with up to 18 inches expected in New England by midday Monday.
The National Weather Service cautioned that the final snow total in New York City could reach up to 14 inches by Monday, the highest amount since 2021.
While most of the country deals with snow and freezing temperatures, Florida experienced record heat on Sunday.
Orlando matched its record high of 86 degrees, set in 2023, while residents of Tampa Bay enjoyed the warmth and avoided the snowstorms up north.
69-year-old Florida resident Joan, originally from northern New Jersey, expressed relief at not having to deal with the severe weather her former neighbors were facing.
“I see the weather happening there and in New York, and I don’t miss it at all,” said Joan, enjoying a leisurely stroll on a pier while sipping Chardonnay from a to-go cup.
However, the warmth in Florida is short-lived, with Central Florida issuing a freeze watch as temperatures are expected to drop after Monday’s rain, with Tuesday bringing temperatures in the mid-30s.
Additional reporting by Georgia Worrell
