December 27, 2025, 6:08 p.mDecember 27, 2025, 6:08 p.m
Snow is shoveled in Times Square in New York.Image: keystone
A winter storm with heavy snow and freezing rain has hit the northeastern United States, significantly disrupting air travel after the holidays. Authorities declared a state of emergency in New York and New Jersey. They warned of slippery and dangerous roads and urged people to avoid driving if possible.
Meteorologist Bob Oravec from the weather service emphasized that the heaviest snowfall was now over. “Only a few flakes fall in the morning, which subside over the course of the day,” says Oravec.
The National Weather Service expected up to 13 centimeters of new snow for New York, and up to 28 centimeters of new snow was possible for areas north and northeast of the city. A winter storm warning was officially in effect for the region until 1 p.m. (7 p.m. CET) this Saturday. In some cases freezing water was also to be expected. The city government urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and to stay at home if possible. According to the New York Times newspaper, the city was facing its snowiest winter storm in three years.
Almost 900 flights in the New York area alone were canceled
The storm still had a significant impact on travel – especially on the Christmas weekend, when a particularly large number of Americans usually travel.
By mid-morning, more than 14,400 domestic flights in the United States had been canceled or delayed, with John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark airports in the New York metropolitan area particularly affected. In addition, according to the FlightAware platform, around 2,100 international connections scheduled for Saturday were canceled.
Flightaware also registered dozens of outages for the airports in the cities of Philadelphia and Baltimore as well as for the Canadian economic metropolis of Toronto.
The airports asked all passengers via Platform X to check with their airline before traveling to the airport whether flights would operate as planned. (sda/dpa/lyn)