Winter Storm Gianna Becomes Bomb Cyclone, Disrupts Travel

by Donald Wood
Last updated: 3:00 PM ET, Sun February 1, 2026

Update: February 1, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. ET

Winter Storm Gianna has officially intensified into a bomb cyclone off the Southeast coast, fueling dangerous winds and extending widespread travel disruptions across this U.S. region.

The storm has already dropped more than a foot of snow in parts of North Carolina and southern Virginia, and is rapidly strengthening over the Atlantic. CNN Weather meteorologists confirmed that Gianna met the technical threshold for bombogenesis early Sunday morning.

The outlet reported that, even as the storm begins to move away and snowfall comes to an end, major flight disruptions are continuing for a second day.

At the time of publication, nearly 1,400 U.S. flights had been canceled on Sunday, with almost 3,000 delayed, according to FlightAware. That follows a severe day of disruption on Saturday, when nearly 2,500 flights were canceled and more than 4,500 delayed during the height of the storm.

ABC News identified Charlotte, Atlanta and Raleigh-Durham as the airports experiencing the most severe disruptions.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport has been hit hardest, with more than 800 flights into, out of, or within the U.S. canceled on Sunday, after more than 1,000 on Saturday. The city also recorded its largest snowfall in two decades with at least six inches received in a single day.

At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, more than 600 flights were canceled on Sunday, along with nearly 500 delays. Meanwhile, Raleigh-Durham International Airport saw fewer than 200 cancellations and just over 30 delayed flights.

In response, most major airlines have put travel waivers in place for the weekend. Travelers are encouraged to monitor their flight status before leaving for the airport, use their airline’s mobile app for real-time updates and rebook if possible to minimize disruptions.

Original Text

Even as much of the United States continues to recover from Winter Storm Fern, another winter storm is expected to intensify into a bomb cyclone and impact the East Coast.

According to Weather.com, Winter Storm Gianna is expected to bring snow, strong winds, coastal flooding, power outages, reduced travel conditions, and life-threatening cold from the Carolinas to New England, with some places seeing record snowfall.

The storm is expected to begin affecting the South on Friday night and continue through Sunday night in New England. Portions of southeast Virginia and eastern North Carolina could see blizzard conditions, with accumulated snow of up to one foot—a rarity in those regions. Cities as far south as Jacksonville will experience the storm's cold weather, with Florida and Georgia both under an extreme cold warning by the National Weather Service, through Sunday.

A weak atmospheric river will continue periods of gusty winds, rain, and mountain snow over the Pacific Northwest through Friday. A rapidly deepening storm centered just off the North Carolina coast Friday night through Saturday night will produce widespread heavy snow and wind… pic.twitter.com/4lDBWpXRVv
— National Weather Service (@NWS) January 30, 2026

As a result, U.S. airlines are waiving change fees for weekend travel. American Airlines has issued a travel alert for nearly 30 airports across the Southeast, including hubs in Atlanta and Charlotte. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has also issued a notice for travelers flying into or out of more than 20 airports in the Southeast on Saturday, January 31 or Sunday, February 1.

United Airlines' waiver covers Friday, January 30 to Sunday, February 1, and customers have until Sunday, February 8 to complete rebooked travel. Southwest Airlines and others have followed suit, so travelers in the storm's path are encouraged to check with their carrier to learn all their options.

FlightAware is reporting nearly 900 delays within the U.S. and just under 1,600 cancellations at 8:25 a.m. EST. The most impacted airports include those in Atlanta, Charlotte, Durham, Charleston and Chicago-O'Hare.

According to CruiseHive.com, two cruise ships—Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Sunshine and Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Breakaway—have altered their itineraries to return to port before Winter Storm Gianna’s arrival.

Even Amtrak is warning rail travelers of potential delays, releasing the following statement about the latest winter storm:

“We are also closely monitoring an additional weather system, Gianna, which could further affect operations. Customers may experience delays, and additional service adjustments or cancellations may still be necessary through this weekend up to and possibly including Monday, February 2.”

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