Over 1,500 flights cancelled as winter weather wreaks havoc US's busiest airports
Over 1,500 flights cancelled as winter weather wreaks havoc US's busiest airports
More than a 1,000 flights have been canceled or delayed in anticipation of snow and icy conditions Tuesday, as a winter storm threatens the Midwest, the South and the East Coast.

There are 977 flight cancellations and 143 delays as of 4:55 a.m., according to FlightAware.com.

"A dangerous week of cold air and travel conditions are coming up," Fox News Senior Meteorologist Janice Dean said Monday. "Snow and ice will coat even the Deep South Tuesday through Wednesday, which will make travel incredibly difficult and possibly crippling."

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has canceled 170 flights to and from Atlanta on Tuesday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.



On Monday night, nearly 300 flights at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport were canceled, according to USA Today. Atlanta expected an uptick in travel during Super Bowl LIII Sunday, which will be played in downtown Atlanta in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Delta has 60 de-icing trucks at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to de-ice planes during the snowfall, the Journal-Constitution reported.

"During the hours of anticipated snowfall, the airline will strategically decrease its flight load to mitigate delays and keep the operation moving. Customers can expect de-icing operations at the airport during the period of snowfall," a release from the airline said Monday afternoon, according to the Tennessean.

Delta has also issued a weather waiver for the Atlanta airport as well as 26 airports throughout the Northeast, according to the Weather Channel. The waiver would allow customers on flights that could be affected to change their flight plans without a fee, the report said.

More than 1,000 flights have been canceled at Chicago's largest airports on Monday. The Chicago Department of Aviation said about 790 flights were canceled at O'Hare International Airport and about 220 were canceled at Midway International Airport as of Monday morning. O'Hare had delays of about 50 minutes, while delays were about 15 minutes at Midway.

United Airlines has extended their travel waiver for Chicago through Feb. 1 "in anticipation of severe winter weather," according to the airline's tweet.



In the southwest, Denver International Airport has had 96 snow-related flight delays and cancellations Monday, The Denver Post reported, citing airport statistics.

Southwest Airlines has canceled 535 flights cancelled -- 14% of its scheduled flights -- as of 3:55 a.m. Tuesday, according to FlightAware.com.

Southwest spokesman Brian Parrish told USA Today that the airline has proactively canceled Tuesday flights due to the winter storm.



Heavy snow and gusting winds have also created blizzard-like conditions in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and other Midwestern states where officials have closed schools, courthouses and businesses.

In Wisconsin, courthouses and most offices were closed in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Columbia and Washington counties, while more than three dozen flights were canceled early Monday at the Milwaukee area's largest airport, Mitchell International Airport.

Winter storm warnings and advisories were posted stretching from Mississippi stretching up through Tennessee into West Virginia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.