Winter storm snarls US air travel; nearly 2,600 cancellations

Airlines are cancelling thousands of flights because of snow and freezing rain in the U.S. Northeast and Midwest.

FlightStats says almost 2,600 flights had been cancelled as of 9:30 a.m. Eastern (1330 GMT) Wednesday. That follows almost 2,000 cancellations on Tuesday and another 2,500 on Monday.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

READ MORE: Heavy snow, strong winds hit parts of southern Ontario, Atlantic Canada

Most of the cancelled flights were from the New York-area airports, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington. Regional airline Cape Air alone cancelled more than 200 flights, including nearly every flight planned from airports in Massachusetts.

United Airlines warned that the disruptions will affect flights in the Midwest, including Chicago and Cleveland, too. United and other airlines are allowing passengers to change their tickets without the usual change fees.