Travellers across the United States faced major disruption over the Thanksgiving weekend as stormy weather invited itself into the celebrations, causing chaos, tampering with schedules, triggering software issues and, in some cases, grounding aircraft.
Flight tracking site FlightAware reported around 12,000 flight delays across the US on Sunday alone. And those were among the lucky passengers who were not on one of the 1,424 cancelled flights.
An incredible flight animation shows just how packed the skies were on Thanksgiving, with millions of Americans traveling and air traffic reaching its busiest levels in 15 years. ✈️ pic.twitter.com/xwhEDlZAYu
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) November 28, 2025
These incidents highlighted the fragility of the country’s transport infrastructure as airport authorities and federal agencies were confronted with the simultaneous challenges of ensuring safety while attempting to maintain operations on schedule during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
Airports most affected by heavy snow, ice and extremely low temperatures included those in Chicago, New York City, Boston, Des Moines, Fort Lauderdale and Detroit.
Nearly 2,200 flights were canceled across the US on Saturday and Sunday (Nov 30, 2025) as a strong winter storm disrupted Thanksgiving return travel. Weather waivers issued by major carriers (UA, AA, DL, WN) amid widespread disruptions at key hubs (ORD, MDW, MKE, STL).#flighty pic.twitter.com/sWPaKBdsCw
— NextFly (@nextflyapp) December 1, 2025
The delays were largely caused by a major winter storm sweeping across the Midwest and the Great Lakes region. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued multiple warnings and advisories from Montana to Ohio, cautioning travellers about potential delays, especially in areas where more than 2.5 cm of snow per hour was expected, which has the potential to overwhelm runway clearing and de-icing operations.
By Saturday night, more than 20 cm of snow had accumulated in northern Iowa, resulting in the cancellation of roughly 1,400 flights. Similar conditions were forecast in parts of Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.
A lake-effect storm in the Great Lakes region that was bringing heavy snow to parts of northern New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania on Friday prompted the closure of highways, disrupting travel after the Thanksgiving holiday. https://t.co/u1tSeOz1Kv pic.twitter.com/URt3L8GQw6
— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 30, 2024
In Detroit, over 300 flights were delayed, and more than 80 were cancelled.
The runway at Des Moines International Airport was temporarily closed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after a Delta Air Lines aircraft skidded off it.
At Chicago O’Hare International Airport, one of the busiest hubs in the country, delays and ground stops affected more than 1,300 flights within a 24-hour period. The NWS noted that Saturday saw one of the highest single-day snowfall totals in Chicago in recent years.
Inside the terminals, travellers trying to reach family and friends for the holiday were seen scrambling to rebook flights or find alternative connections.
Beyond the storm, additional disruption over the weekend was caused by the grounding of thousands of Airbus A320-family aircraft worldwide for mandatory software updates, including, reportedly, the aircraft used by Pope Leo XIV during a Middle East tour.
Travellers were not the only ones affected. Road and rail transport also suffered. At least one rail service was disrupted when a fire broke out beneath three Amtrak cars in Providence, Rhode Island. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. And on Saturday, 45 vehicles were involved in a pile-up on a road near Terre Haute, Indiana.
On Sunday, the NWS advised that “an active, winter-like pattern will continue over the next couple of days, featuring winter storms that will bring impactful winter weather and chilly temperatures to much of the country”.
Airports have urged passengers to monitor real-time updates. They have also asked passengers to prepare for possible schedule changes. However, most passengers have little choice in the matter.
