‘Heavy snow’ warning: Airlines cancel 1,600 Tuesday flights, Houston airports to halt operations for Gulf Coast storm

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information. After a weekend winter blast that saw thousands of flights delayed and canceled along the East Coast, airports are already preparing for major disruptions in parts of Texas, Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast ahead of a second significant winter storm — a system that …

Jan 21, 2025 - 03:03

‘Heavy snow’ warning: Airlines cancel 1,600 Tuesday flights, Houston airports to halt operations for Gulf Coast storm

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information.

After a weekend winter blast that saw thousands of flights delayed and canceled along the East Coast, airports are already preparing for major disruptions in parts of Texas, Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast ahead of a second significant winter storm — a system that could bring snow and ice to parts of the country that seldom see wintry conditions.

As of 7 p.m. EST Monday, nearly 1,700 flights scheduled for Tuesday have already been canceled, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.

That includes more than 90% of all flights scheduled to depart Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), and close to 95% of departures at nearby Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) — though customers should be ready the entire day’s schedule to be axed.

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And that may be just the start: the two airports — each a major bases for two of the nation’s largest carriers — have announced plans to shutter operations at midnight Tuesday.

To prioritize the safety of our passengers and staff, and due to extremely hazardous road conditions throughout Houston, flight operations at IAH will be temporarily suspended at 12 A.M. on Tuesday, January 21. Please do not attempt to travel to the airport after this time. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/YItcX5ta6w
— Bush Airport (@iah) January 20, 2025

It comes amid a busy long weekend for air travel that saw more than 1,200 flights canceled and another 6,500-plus delayed Sunday, per FlightAware, thanks to a winter storm that dumped heavy snow on parts of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.

Airlines recover from weekend storm

After a messy day at airports Sunday — particularly in the New York and Washington, D.C. metropolitan areas — airlines seemed to get operations mostly back on track Monday. However, Monday cancelations started to track up in Texas ahead of the storm there.

By Sunday evening, IAH had already seen more than 40 departures canceled, per FlightAware — but over 100 flights headed to Houston had been scrapped ahead of the storm. Airlines also canceled dozens of additional flights headed to HOU and to San Antonio International Airport (SAT).

The picture had improved in the Northeast. Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) led the region’s airports with around 50 departures canceled, but the numbers held steady later in the day. Close to 75 additional flights had been collectively scrapped at New York’s three major airports and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

It’s also worth noting that conditions inside the terminals at DCA improved late this weekend, after an outage to its heating system for hours on Saturday — all amid bitter cold temperatures in the region amid the inaugural festivities for President Donald Trump.

Already, though, flight disruptions stemming from the incoming storm are showing up across the country ahead of a winter weather system that’s expected to snarl travel in many cities over the coming days.

Travel advisories expanded

Over the weekend, airlines issued travel advisories covering a slew of airports stretching from the mid-Atlantic to New England, allowing passengers to make easy flight changes to avoid the weekend’s snow.

Some of those advisories were still in effect Monday.

Deep South, Gulf Coast waivers in effect

Meanwhile, a growing list of airlines have issued separate travel alerts for much of the Deep South ahead of the storm. Those waivers allow even customers flying on ultra-restrictive tickets to make free trip changes.

Importantly, United Airlines’ Gulf Coast advisory covers dozens of airports — including its major Houston Intercontinental hub.

The National Weather Service on Monday predicted bands of heavy snow in Houston, in a city that seldom sees significant snowfall.

-Wintry mix overnight
-Mostly snow expected by morning
-Heavy snowbands likely to develop
-Location of snowbands uncertain
-Most likely snowband region appears to be I-10 corridor to the coast.
-Forecasting snowband location is tough business#HOUwx #GLSwx #BCSwx #TXwx pic.twitter.com/p6TLU3fNDH
— NWS Houston (@NWSHouston) January 20, 2025

Southwest Airlines’ latest alert covers a handful of airports where the carrier has a significant presence, including Houston’s Hobby and Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) — not to mention New Orleans, which noted the mass cancellations on Monday evening and urged passengers to check their flight status with their airline.

Most airlines at #MSY have cancelled flight ops, and depending on weather conditions, most airlines plan to resume operations on Wed., Jan. 22, 2025. Passengers are advised to check directly with their airlines on the most up to date flight info.https://t.co/Jxli8WM9uL pic.twitter.com/K6njAlxAlH
— New Orleans Airport (@flyneworleans) January 21, 2025

Those preemptive measures come as the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida each declared states of emergency ahead of the impending storm.

Meanwhile, Accuweather warns the hazardous conditions could spread to parts of Georgia and the Carolinas on Tuesday night, into Wednesday. Notably, Delta Air Lines’ latest travel advisory predicts potential disruptions at its Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) mega-hub — the world’s busiest airport.

Parts of the Deep South, particularly North Texas, have already been marred by severe storms, snow and ice in recent weeks. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), the nation’s second busiest, suffered thousands of flight cancellations over the past month from a barrage of foul weather.

Whether your travels take you to the East Coast this weekend or parts of the South in the coming days, here’s how you can start preparing now:

Watch for a travel advisory

Check your airline’s website. If you’re planning to fly over the next couple of days, it’s likely your flight could be covered by one of the many travel advisories issued by major U.S. carriers.

This could allow you to more easily make complimentary itinerary changes right from your airline’s app — even if you’re flying on an ordinarily restrictive ticket like basic economy.

Here’s a full rundown of the largest U.S. carriers’ current alerts:

Keep an eye on your airline’s app

Make sure you download your airline’s app, and watch it closely. You may get notifications about flight delays or cancellations, and you’ll be able to spot early signs of trouble with your travel plans.

Also: if your flight is delayed or canceled, your airline may allow you to book yourself on a new flight right in the app.

This could save you significant time you’d otherwise spend waiting on hold with customer service.

See a good rebooking option? Don’t delay

If you’re battling flight delays and see a halfway decent rebooking option pop up in your airline’s app, don’t waste a second: Lock it in!

With thousands of flights likely to be affected by winter weather in the coming days, many other passengers will be “competing” for seats on flights that do get out on time. That means those open spots will fill up quickly.

Departures board at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). SEAN CUDAHY/THE POINTS GUY

Don’t forget about the lounge

If using your airline’s app to make itinerary changes isn’t cutting it, you might consider visiting your airline’s lounge (if you’re a member, of course). The customer service desks in airlines’ clubs can often have much shorter waits for assistance than you’ll find along the airport concourse.

Just keep in mind: this applies only to airport lounges that are affiliated with your airline; credit card-branded clubs like the American Express Centurion Lounge or Capital One Lounge — while a great place to kill time during a delay — won’t be able to help you work on changing your flights.

Review your refund rights

Now is a good time to brush up on your rights to a refund when it comes to air travel.

Under U.S. Department of Transportation policy, airlines are required to refund you for the unflown portion of your ticket when your flight is canceled or significantly delayed — only if you choose not to travel (and don’t accept rebooking).

This rule applies even when the flight disruption is due to bad weather, and it can come in handy if you opt to stay home instead of taking a later flight in the midst of a winter storm.

Getting compensation for a delayed flight

Airlines have made a wide range of promises to the DOT for meals, hotel accommodations and other guarantees in the event of flight cancellations and major delays. However, keep in mind, these typically apply to “controllable” disruptions (like maintenance or staffing issues) and generally do not apply when bad weather affects travel.

This is where a travel credit card that offers travel insurance protections can come in handy, helping you recoup unexpected costs when flight trouble leaves you stranded. The one catch: In most cases, you’ll typically need to book your trip with that card in order to make a successful claim.

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