Northeast Storms Bring Heavy Rain, Sparking Ground Stops at JFK and LGA

Bad weather slamming the Northeast this morning is already causing a headache for travelers.

According to AccuWeather forecasters, the Northeast corridor is dealing with persistent, heavy rain on Friday morning, capable of causing localized ponding on roadways and low-visibility conditions. While daytime temperatures are running relatively mild-hitting highs in the upper 60s across the tri-state area-the rain is already making a mess at the area’s airports.

As of 7:00 a.m. EST, the Federal Aviation Administration’s National Airspace System Status tracker shows that the weather has forced air traffic control to throttle traffic at several major hubs.

That includes both John F. Kennedy International (JFK) and LaGuardia (LGA), which are operating under active Ground Stops due to thunderstorm activity, holding arrivals through at least 8:00 a.m. EST. LaGuardia is also logging departure and arrival delays averaging around 30 minutes due to traffic management initiatives and weather reroutes. Teterboro (TEB) is feeling the squeeze as well, with departure delays averaging 15 minutes and climbing.

Looking ahead, the FAA warns that potential delay programs or ground stops could hit Boston Logan (BOS), Newark Liberty (EWR), Philadelphia (PHL), Washington Dulles (IAD), Reagan National (DCA), and Baltimore/Washington (BWI) after 12:00 p.m. EST.

As of 7:30 a.m. EST, according to FlightAware, delays aren’t yet piling up, as none of those hubs are showing significant delays or cancellations because of the weather, but that is likely to change as the day goes on.

Travelers flying out of or connecting through the region today should check their flight status directly with their carrier before heading out.