A wild winter storm is set to wreak havoc on American aviation this weekend, with snow forecasted to impact areas from as far East as Massachusetts, and to the west in New Mexico. At the time of writing, more than 8,000 flights have been cancelled (according to FlightAware), including both domestic and international flights across the next two days. This number is expected to rise.

Airlines are taking precaution early, cancelling or delaying flights across the network. Already, according to Flightradar24 American Airlines has cancelled in excess of 2,000 flights, Southwest Airlines more than 1,000, and United Airlines has more than 500 for travel on January 24. These cancellations are expected to create a backlog of travelers, and the congestion is expected to linger in the coming days.

Snow Storm Forecast

Set to cripple the US aviation this weekend, airlines across the country are already taking preventive action, cancelling or delaying thousands of flights as heavy snowfall is forecast across many parts of the United States and Canada. FlightAware (at the time of writing) reported more than 3,132 total flight cancellations tomorrow (January 24), and another 4,935 for Sunday (January 25).

The mix of snow, ice, and generally cold temperaturesise forecasted to chill a vast majority of US states tomorrow, with airlines and airports taking necessary action to mitigate travel chaos across the weekend. As reported by MSN, Delta Air Lines has already taken steps to cancel most flights from North Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee fort he safety of passengers and crew.

As passengers now scramble to re-book travel plans, airlines are adding additional services late Friday, such as American Airlines, which added 17 additional flights to and from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to key US cities in advance of strong winter conditions set to arrive overnight.

Check Your Flight Status Before Arriving At The Airport

With travel plans thrown into chaos, travelers are being urged to check their travel plans before heading to the airport. Weather advisories are continuing to develop, and airlines have stressed that before traveling, you should check road conditions and your flight status before heading to the airport. In light of these conditions, most airlines are offering travel waivers to allow customers to adjust travel plans accordingly without penalty.

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has issued a waiver that covers most travel itineraries across the eastern United States, including key airports such as Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, in addition to other parts across the central and southeastern US. American Airlines is also allowing passengers to change their travel plans to/from 34 US airports, enabling passengers to adjust travel itineraries booked to travel between January 23 and 25 without penalty.

Star Alliance carrier United Airlines has also published its travel waiver, which will allow passengers with original travel dates between January 23 and January 25 to adjust itineraries without penalty if traveling from a list that contains more than 30 U.S airports.

Safety First

For flights to operate, airport runways and taxiways will need to be plowed frequently to enable aircraft to safely move about the airport. In addition, before aircraft can depart, they must be doused in de-icing fluid, which assists in the removal and prevention of ice accumulation.

Airlines routinely will proactively cancel flights when faced with challenging winter conditions, which assists in preventing plane displacement and the stranding of passengers and crew. Additionally, in such forecasts as snowstorms, airports may reduce the number of aircraft that can arrive or depart to manage any delays or local congestion.

Should your travel plans be affected, it is recommended to reach out to your airline or try to change your booking through the respective airline’s website or app, which should provide you with various alternatives for rebooking. Travel plans this weekend are expected to be affected around the world, as not only are domestic flights already cancelled, but also international flights to and from the United States to airports that are forecasted to be affected.