NYC blizzard: Powerful winter storm roils travel across the US, leading to thousands of flight cancellations due to snow, wind

New York — Air traffic was halted across much of the northeastern United States, as a powerful storm brought heavy snow and strong winds across the region.

Thousands of flights piled up Monday morning. As of about 9:30 a.m. ET, nearly 5,500 flights into or out of the United States have been cancelled, according to online website FlightAware. Hundreds more were delayed.

New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport had the highest number of cancellations on Monday — followed by airports in Boston, Newark, New Jersey, and Philadelphia.

The National Weather Service described travel conditions as “extremely treacherous” and “almost impossible” in areas hardest hit by the storm.

Aside from air traffic, millions of people are stuck at home under a ground travel ban amid blizzard warnings. On Sunday night, cellphones across New York City received wailing alerts announcing a ban on non-emergency travel on all streets until noon on Monday, due to “dangerous blizzard conditions.” Rhode Island and New Jersey have implemented similar restrictions.