Winter Storm Cora Crushes Travel in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, and More

Winter Storm Cora continues to disrupt travel across southern U.S. states and the Ohio Valley on Friday as snow and sleet affect multiple regions.

After North Texas was hit hard on Thursday, with some areas seeing up to 6 inches of snow, the storm system is now moving east across Arkansas, Nashville, Georgia, and toward the Carolinas. Some snowfall is expected as far north as Ohio.

Here’s the latest from the National Weather Service (NWS) as of Friday morning:

“Areas of light to moderate snow will translate east from eastern Oklahoma, southern Missouri, and Arkansas this morning into and across the Tennessee Valley, eventually reaching the Mid-Atlantic region tonight. Snowfall accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are expected from near Memphis into the central Appalachians.”

Flight cancellations

According to flight tracking software FlightAware, airports in Atlanta, the Carolinas, and Tennessee are experiencing significant cancellations due to Cora, with some Texas airports still facing issues from Thursday’s disruptions.

Here’s the situation as of 10 a.m. Friday:

• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL): Nearly 30% of total departures are canceled, amounting to almost 300 flights, with another 16% delayed.
• Charlotte Douglas International (CLT): More than 35% of total departures are canceled, totaling 280 flights, with another 1% delayed.
• Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW): 20% of scheduled departures are canceled, affecting over 200 flights.
• Dallas Love Field (DAL): More than 50 departures are canceled, representing 21% of scheduled departures.
• Nashville International Airport (BNA): Almost half of all departures are canceled, totaling 128 flights.

While these hubs are hardest hit, cancellations are also increasing at other Southeast U.S. airports, including Tampa International (TPA) and Orlando International (MCO).

All passengers traveling on Friday should check with their airlines before heading to the airport.

Flight Waivers

As Cora continues to move across the U.S., airlines are updating their travel waivers. Here are the latest as of early on Friday:

Air Canada: Air Canada has a waiver out for Atlanta Hatfield (ATL), Charlotte (CLTA), Dallas (DFW), and Nashville (BNA), that runs through Jan. 10.

American Airlines: American’s waiver includes more than 50 airports for travel from Jan. 8 through Jan. 12, including Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Atlanta-Hartsfield (ATL), and Charlotte Douglas (CLT). The waiver allows for new travel to be booked through Jan. 15 without penalty. Changes must be made by Jan. 12.

Delta Air Lines: Delta has a waiver out for airports in the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee, including its hub at Atlanta Hartsfield (ATL), that runs through Jan. 11. The waiver could be extended should Cora continue to impact flights. it allows for new travel through Jan. 15.

JetBlue: JetBlue has a waiver out for nine airports, including Atlanta-Hartsfield (ATL), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), and Nashville International (BNA). That waiver runs through Jan. 11 and allows for new travel through Jan. 18 without penalty or fare differences.

United Airlines: United has a waiver out for airports in Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Virginia, along with Kentucky and West Virginia, for travel through Jan. 11. It is allowing for changes to be made without penalty or fare differences for new flights through Jan. 17.