On the afternoon of the 14th, more than 4,000 flights were postponed and more than 1,000 flights were canceled.
Northern influence is greatest… 80% cancellation of flights departing from Niagara
As the Arctic cold wave hit the entire United States, it was reported that thousands of flights were delayed or canceled at airports for three days in a row.
According to flight information site FlightAware on the 14th (local time), more than 4,000 flights were postponed and more than 1,000 were canceled as of this afternoon.
Although this is an improvement compared to the previous day, when about 8,000 flights were delayed and 1,400 cancellations occurred, the number of delays and cancellations is still significant. On Friday the 12th, about 9,000 flights were delayed and 2,300 were canceled.
The airports most affected are those across the northern United States.
In Denver, where a storm warning was issued until the evening of the 15th, 10% of flights arriving that day were canceled. In Chicago, about a fifth of flights to and from O’Hare International Airport were delayed. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), more than 80% of flights departing from Buffalo Niagara International Airport were canceled as Buffalo, New York, and surrounding areas braced for heavy snowfall.
According to the Associated Press, a bitter cold wave is hitting the northwestern and central-eastern United States due to the influence of the Arctic high pressure moving south from the Canadian Prairies. The NWS announced that as of midnight on this day, it had issued cold wave warnings, advisories, and watch orders for approximately 95 million people across the United States.
In northern Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota, the perceived temperature dropped to -56 degrees Celsius due to strong winds.
In Buffalo, New York, the North American Professional Football (NFL) playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers was postponed as 30 to 60 cm of snow was forecast to fall.
In Oregon, strong winds and heavy snow toppled trees and power lines, knocking out power to more than 162,000 homes and businesses. In nearby Portland, there was also an incident where a tree fell and hit a car, causing a fire. Most of the people in the vehicle escaped, but one person was reportedly trapped inside the car and died. In the Lake Oswego area of Oregon, a tree fell due to strong winds and struck a house, killing an elderly person inside the house.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.