By Anna SkinnerShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberMore than 1,000 flights have either been canceled or delayed on Wednesday morning, with winter storms bound to disrupt countless others as millions of Americans take to the skies to visit family for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Newsweek reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by email for comment.
Why It Matters
Nearly 82 million Americans plan to travel more than 50 miles from home this week for Thanksgiving. The busiest holiday travel day commonly falls on Wednesday, making the current weather forecasts particularly disrupting for those who are traveling in the Great Lakes and Northern Plains.
Weather is the greatest cause of flight delays, attributing to 62.6 percent, according to a report from the FAA.
...What to Know
The National Weather Service (NWS) has already issued numerous warnings across states in these regions, with animated weather footage from windy.com revealing the extent of the weather-related impacts.
As of Wednesday morning, NWS winter weather alerts were in place for Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, Wyoming, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. According to data from flightaware.com, the number of flight delays within, into, or out of the U.S. on Wednesday already exceeded 1,250 flights, with cancellations at 43 as of around 11 a.m. Eastern time.
The numbers are bound to increase as the day progresses. The airport impacted the worst by the delays was O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. The second worst was Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in Minnesota.
Weather Radar
Animated weather footage from windy.com shows severe winter weather conditions impacting the Northern Plains and the Upper Great Lakes regions.
Wind
Strong winds also can delay flights, as they can impact a flight particularly during takeoff and landing. Strong winds were detected across the Great Lakes and Midwest on Wednesday, prompting the NWS to issue numerous wind advisories.
Snowfall
Snow can also delay flights, as it makes runways slick and can reduce visibility for pilots. Over the next few days, northern Wisconsin is anticipating the heaviest snowfall with more than 19 inches possible, according to windy.com. Western Michigan, parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York that border the Great Lakes, and northwestern Montana, northern Idaho, and parts of western Washington state also are expecting significant snowfall.
The FAA also shared that low clouds could delay flights at Boston Logan International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, and in New York and Washington, D.C. Stormy weather could complicate travel plans in Atlanta and Charlotte Douglas International Airport, and high winds could delay flights at Midway International Airport, O'Hare International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Airport, and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
What People Are Saying
FAA in a webpage about Thanksgiving travel tips: "We expect this Thanksgiving holiday travel period to be the busiest in 15 years, with Tuesday, Nov. 25 being the peak travel day with more than 52,000 flights."
NWS in a Wednesday forecast: "Travel conditions will be challenging across the northern Plains, Great Lakes and east coast through Thanksgiving holiday weekend."
What Happens Next
People taking to the skies to reach their families should remain aware about potential delays and cancellations due to weather, particularly in the Great Lakes and Northern Plains. Local weather officials will update forecasts as the situation develops.
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