It's a winter storm of the kind rarely experienced in the United States, which nevertheless experiences major snowfalls every year. Covering some 3,000 km from Nevada and southern Texas to the Canadian border, this storm is as exceptional in its size as it is in its scope. According to the meteorologists, it is an event the likes of which have not been seen for 40 years.
Not only has the storm deprived a million American homes of electricity, it has also caused chaos in the air. Between Friday and Sunday, the American online site FlightAware counted more than 15,000 cancelled flights, a record. By comparison, on 7 November, in the midst of the government shutdown that left air traffic controllers on standby, FlightAware recorded 1,900 cancelled flights. There were more than 5,300 on Friday, more than 4,500 on Saturday and almost 5,600 yesterday.
On Friday and Saturday, massive snowfalls and ice paralysed the airports in the south-west in particular. The two Dallas airports as well as Memphis, Nashville, Tulsa and Oklahoma City saw flight cancellation rates of between 80% and 88%. With the storm intensifying on the east coast, Sunday and today (Monday) will mainly affect flights from major US cities with links to Europe.
On Sunday, the three Washington airports of Reagan National, Baltimore/Washington and Washington Dulles were partially closed. Reagan National saw 99% of its flights cancelled, Baltimore/Washington 97% and Dulles 87%. Philadelphia fared little better, with a cancellation rate of 94%.
In New York, JFK held up relatively better, with a cancellation rate of "only" 80%. This compares particularly well with 84% at Newark and 91% at La Guardia. In fact, Boston showed the most resilience with 66% of cancelled flights. Canada was more resilient. 56% of flights in Toronto were cancelled on Sunday and 24% in Montreal.
Monday is set to be another black day. As a result, airlines are offering free travel postponements, while airport and airline websites are providing information on the situation. Meteorologists do not expect the situation to return to normal before the weekend, with freezing temperatures set to persist.
