Winter Storm grounds flights on way back from Thanksgiving holiday

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#USA, November 28, 2022 – Airports became congested halls of misery for many US residents on Sunday as hundreds of thousands of Americans trying to get back home after thanksgiving were stranded by a winter storm.

The Sunday after Thanksgiving is always hectic for airlines and this Sunday was already projected to be a busy one with thanksgiving crowds swelling to almost pre pandemic sizes but that was compounded by the delay of over 4000 flights and the outright cancellation of more than 100.  The National Weather Service had warned that a storm would shift across the mid-Mississippi Valley and into the Northeast US on Sunday with widespread rain and gusty winds.

According to flight aware at 5 pm Sunday flights attempting to get into New York, one of the hardest hit states, were grounded at their point of origin for at least 2 hours. Information from their ‘Misery Map’ which tracks delays and cancellations showed almost 200 delays in the big apple alone and 800 in the four hours between 3 and 7.

The numerous delays, while likely frustrating for residents, were much milder than the pileup in summer where thousands of flights had to be cancelled as airline workers walked off the job.

Caption:  Buffalo, NY,  November 22, 2022