Snow, icy roads and frigid temperatures brought by a storm that moved through the Mid-Atlantic region on Monday disrupted the return to normal life for millions of people after a two-week Christmas holiday. The storm not only closed offices and schools, but also disrupted travel in parts of the country, with trains and flights delayed or cancelled.
The travel situation was particularly bad in Washington, where Ronald Reagan National Airport closed all runways Monday night, an unwelcome development in an extremely busy week for the capital. Early Monday morning, Congress certified President-elect Donald J. Trump's victory in one of the first political acts of the new year, and President Jimmy Carter's funeral is scheduled to be held Thursday at the Washington National Cathedral.
More than 9,000 flights were delayed or canceled at airports from Texas to New York due to the storm, according to aviation tracking service FlightAware. Airports in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area were most affected, with more than 80% of departures at National Airport canceled. The airport said it had closed the runway so airport staff could focus on clearing snow before temperatures dropped further. Airport spokeswoman Emily McGee said the terminal would remain open with limited service, but the runway would likely be closed until Tuesday morning.
At the National Airlines baggage claim area, weary travelers lined up to claim their lost luggage from the airline. Others were sitting on bags, on the floor, on the luggage carousel, checking their phones, making calls, or trying to get a few minutes of sleep.
Philadelphia International Airport and New York's Kennedy International Airport relied on daytime ground stops to manage air traffic and prevent airports from becoming overcrowded, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. More than 400 departure delays were announced at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, and the number of delayed flights at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport increased.
Among the worst-hit airlines was American Airlines, which had more than 1,000 flights delayed, or 30% of its daily routes, and Southwest Airlines, which had 990 flights delayed, or 27% of its daily schedule, according to FlightAware. More than one flight was delayed. Southwest Airlines also canceled more than 500 flights.
Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines and other airlines have issued travel waivers that allow customers to rebook trips through more than a dozen cities hit by winter weather without change fees.
The advisory didn't help Nick Grimaldi, who was scheduled to fly from Jamaica to his home in Virginia Beach, Va., with his family on Monday after a vacation trip. The 2:00 p.m. flight from Montego Bay to Baltimore-Washington International Airport was repeatedly delayed and ultimately canceled. A connecting flight to Norfolk, Virginia, where the car was parked, was canceled. His children will miss at least one more day of school. Grimaldi said he was frustrated that Southwest Airlines did not cancel the flight to Baltimore sooner, even though flights on other airlines were still available. Now, he said he plans to spend the night arranging a flight to return home tomorrow.
“Today was a roller coaster day. As we left the resort, we felt everything was under control,” Grimaldi, 47, said in a direct message on social media. “Southwest Airlines needs to improve its processes to allow customers to get off their flights when things don’t go as planned, especially when snowstorms are a constant occurrence.”
Train service was also severely disrupted. Amtrak canceled dozens of trains in the Northeast and Midwest, citing severe winter weather and equipment issues. Affected destinations include Boston, Washington, New York, Chicago, and Raleigh, North Carolina
One Washington air traveler wasn't too upset after his flight plans from National Airport changed multiple times over two days. Alena Shahan of Richmond, Virginia, was scheduled to fly to Cincinnati on Delta Airlines Sunday night for work, but her first flight and three more on Monday were canceled. She was staying with family and was rescheduled to another flight on Tuesday morning.
“They were pretty accommodating with our rebookings,” she said of Delta.
Travel was expected to remain disrupted until Monday evening. More light snow is possible in Washington and Baltimore as the storm progresses, and parts of New England could see snow in the coming days, the National Weather Service said. Another winter storm is expected to impact Texas later this week.
Chris Cameron contributed reporting from Washington.
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