If the eastern half of the United States and southeastern Canada are in your travel plans over the next few days or so, you may want to consider delaying your travel — or, at least, keep yourself updated as to the latest information pertaining to the weather — due to a massive winter weather system which will bring snow, ice, sleet, freezing rain, gusty winds, and frigid air to the regions and affect at least 80 airports in 22 states and six provinces.
Travel Alert January 2022: Massive Winter Storm to Impact Eastern United States and Southeastern Canada
As much as 18 inches of snow is expected from portions of extreme northwestern North Carolina and the northeastern tip of Tennessee all the way to western Maine and southeastern Québec through Monday, January 17, 2022 for cities such as Roanoke, Québec, and Syracuse — up to as much as 40 inches of snow can possibly fall in higher elevations and local areas — while up to a foot of snow is forecast from the southwestern tip of North Carolina all the way to eastern Québec and the northwestern tip of New Brunswick for cities such as Montréal, Harrisburg, Buffalo, Burlington, Pittsburgh, Charleston, Albany, and Erie; and up to six inches of snow is predicted from extreme northeastern Georgia and northern Tennessee all the way to eastern Québec and much of New Brunswick, which includes cities such as Baltimore, Knoxville, Manchester, Cincinnati, Worcester, Asheville, Portland, and the District of Columbia.
Cities such as New York, Charlotte, Wilmington, Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, Richmond, Providence, Toronto, and Hartford can possibly experience being covered with up to three inches of snow.
Shelves in many supermarkets in the greater Atlanta metropolitan area were already bare in anticipation of the winter storm.
The unusually cold winter weather is only adding to the tens of thousands of cancellations and delays of flights which have been plaguing airlines in the United States since Christmas Eve on Friday, December 24, 2021.
Flight Waivers, Delays and Cancellations
If you are traveling to or from the eastern half of the United States and southeastern Canada over the next few days or so, expect delays and cancellations of flights. Keep up to date on the latest information pertaining to this winter weather system which may adversely affect your travel plans. Better yet, postponing or canceling your trip might be a better option — no matter which mode of travel you plan on taking.
If you have a flight scheduled, your flight may be delayed or canceled — and you may be eligible for a waiver of a fee to change your itinerary.
Here are seven airlines which have issued travel alerts as a result of this weather system — many of which were released only moments ago:
- American Airlines has issued travel alerts for 32 airports in eleven states for Sunday, January 16, 2022 through Monday, January 17, 2022; and Thursday, January 20, 2022 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
- Delta Air Lines has issued travel alerts for:
- Minneapolis and Saint Paul for Friday, January 14, 2022; and Monday, January 17, 2022 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
- Twelve airports in five states in the southeastern United States for Sunday, January 16, 2022 through Monday, January 17, 2022; and Thursday, January 20, 2022 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
- United Airlines has issued travel alerts for 59 airports in 16 states and two provinces for Saturday, January 15, 2022 through Monday, January 17, 2022; and Wednesday, January 19, 2022 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
- Southwest Airlines has issued travel alerts for Des Moines, Kansas City, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Omaha, and Saint Louis for Friday, January 14, 2022 through Saturday, January 15, 2022; and Saturday, January 29, 2022 is the last day on which tickets must be reissued and rebooked travel must begin.
- JetBlue Airways has issued a travel waiver for all destinations for Tuesday, December 28, 2021 through Monday, January 31, 2022, as all fees for cancellations of flights or changes in itineraries will be waived — reportedly due at least in part to the proactive cancellation of up to 90 flights per day.
- Air Canada has issued travel alerts for:
- Nine airports in five provinces for Friday, January 14, 2022 through Saturday, January 15, 2022.
- Deer Lake for Friday, January 14, 2022.
- WestJet Airways has issued travel alerts for Sydney, Moncton, Charlottetown, Fredericton, and Halifax for Friday, January 14, 2022 through Saturday, January 15, 2022.
Final Boarding Call
Expect the cancellations or delays of flights to continue in general until further notice — and do not be surprised if additional airlines issue travel waivers as a result of this winter weather system. They will come — trust me on this one. This winter storm means business.
Be sure to contact your airline or transportation provider for the latest information pertaining to your travels — if they are adversely affected — and please: travel safely.
Photograph ©2017 by Brian Cohen.
