Latest Updates as Winter Storm Ember Impacts Travel in Northeast US

Image: Winter driving in snow. (photo via Getty / njw1224 / E+)
Image: Winter driving in snow. (photo via Getty / njw1224 / E+)
Donald Wood
by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:45 AM ET, Sat January 6, 2024

Update: January 7, 2024, at 9:28 a.m. ET

After impacting travel throughout the Northeast United States on Saturday, Winter Storm Ember will move away by Sunday night, but snow, rain and wind are expected to continue through the day.

According to Weather.com, travelers should be aware that additional snowfall accumulations through the day are expected from New York into parts of New England. Officials also announced that Winter Storm Finn could cause winter weather-related travel issues over the next week.

According to FlightAware.com, more than 700 flights within, into or out of the United States have been canceled, and another 1,122 have been delayed, as of 9:15 a.m. ET on Sunday. On Saturday, 521 flights were canceled and another 7,768 were delayed.

The winter weather issues were compounded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounding all Boeing 737-9 aircraft for inspections after an Alaska Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing after the cabin became depressurized due to a door panel coming loose midflight.


Update: January 6, 2024, at 3:16 p.m. ET

According to Weather.com, Winter Storm Ember is dumping snow across portions of the Great Lakes and Northeast and rain in the Southeast. Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories have been issued throughout the central Appalachians to New England.

According to FlightAware.com, more than 320 flights within, into or out of the United States have been canceled, and another 3,725 have been delayed, as of 3:15 p.m. ET on Saturday. 

Public safety officials have said poor travel conditions will be one of the main impacts of the storm, with impacted Americans being asked to avoid travel or delay it if possible in the locations expecting snow and ice.


Original Text

Travelers taking to the roads, rails, and skies this weekend are dealing with the implications of Winter Storm Ember, which is dumping snow, sleet, and freezing rain on much of the Northeast United States.

According to The Weather Channel, an estimated 60 million residents in the Northeast are expected to face treacherous conditions and weather-related travel disruptions as the fast-moving storm dumps snow from the central Appalachians to much of New England.

Areas like New York City could face the heaviest snowfall in two years, depending on the eventual path of Winter Storm Ember. On Saturday, the central Appalachians and northern tier of the mid-Atlantic will face snow storms, before the weather system moves into New England on Saturday night.

Warm weather in the Atlantic Ocean is expected to turn the snow into freezing rain over Interstate 95 from Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and central New Jersey, but roads are expected to be slushy.

While New York City could experience periods of rain and snow, portions of southeastern New York, northern Pennsylvania, western Connecticut, and northern New Jersey could deal with up to 6-12 inches of snow through Sunday.

As a result of the storm's projected path, major airlines like American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and United have already issued waivers for those traveling on Saturday and Sunday through major cities, including Boston, Buffalo, Newark, New York, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

Rail travel is also being impacted, as Amtrak announced it would operate a modified schedule with no alternate transportation due to the forecasted winter weather to ensure the safety of customers and employees.


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