Winter Storm Impacting Travel, Canceling Flights in Northeast

Travelers scheduled to leave from or arrive along the east coast of the United States need to be on high alert as flight delays and cancellations are expected due to a major Nor'easter storm hitting Friday into Saturday.

According to The Weather Channel, the storm system is expected to bring damaging winds, heavy rain, snow and severe flooding from the Carolinas to Maine, with wind gusts ranging from 40-60 miles per hours in some areas.

Meteorologists expect the winds to last as long as 36 hours, with around 78 million people under wind alerts across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.

Due to the potentially damaging storm, more than 1,500 flights were canceled at airports in the northeast, including Philadelphia International, Boston’s Logan International, Ronald Reagan Washington National and New York’s LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International.

Winter Storm Riley has resulted in nearly 250 cancellations for #JFK. Please check flight status with your airline before coming to the airport. [22]

— Kennedy Airport (@JFKairport) March 2, 2018

Friday, March 2, 7:15am: rain falling at PHL, cancellations and delays reported. High wind warning 11am thru early Saturday AM for Philadelphia. Expect impacts to travel in Northeast U.S. Check flight status with your airline. Airport conditions https://t.co/sXce3Zk9Oc

— PHLAirport (@PHLAirport) March 2, 2018

High winds are expected to continue for much of the day today in the DC area. Many airlines have issued weather waivers for travel in the Northeast, including for DCA. Please check the status of your flight before coming to the airport & stay safe!

— Reagan Airport (@Reagan_Airport) March 2, 2018

READ MORE: Which US Airport Has The Most Flight Cancellations?

As a result of the cancellations, airlines serving impacted airports are waiving change fees and fare differences, including American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest and United. Most eligible travelers will be able to make one change to their itineraries free of charge.

The forecasted winter weather in the Northeast U.S. is expected to impact our operations. Please check your flight status on our mobile app or at https://t.co/7fA7qoLIsb before going to the airport. A travel waiver is in effect for changes: https://t.co/IF60HgPIKr. pic.twitter.com/TipP3fDkra

— United Airlines (@united) March 2, 2018

We've issued a travel waiver due to forecasted weather in the Northeast. For more information see https://t.co/It8RLSEalp

— Delta (@Delta) February 28, 2018

Flight cancellations aren’t just a problem in the U.S. Friday, as England, Ireland and the surrounding countries are still dealing with the effects of a Siberian weather pattern called the Beast from the East. The storm brought heavy snow and cancellations at multiple airports.