Winter Storm Fern: Massive January Storm Expected to Paralyze U.S. Travel This Weekend

Travel across the U.S. could come to an effective standstill this weekend as Winter Storm Fern, one of the most powerful and expansive January storms in recent memory, bears down on more than two dozen states.

Impacts from the storm are expected to begin Friday evening and could linger through Monday morning in some areas of the country. While the storm’s exact track continues to change, AccuWeather’s latest Thursday forecast highlights two primary threats:

• Dangerous Ice and Arctic Cold: A crippling corridor of ice accumulation and sub-freezing temperatures will stretch from Texas through the Mississippi Valley, the Tennessee Valley, the Carolinas, and southern Virginia starting Friday. This ice could make roads impassable and lead to power outages, particularly in southern regions not equipped for this kind of impact.
• Heavy Northeast Snowfall: somewhere between 6–12 inches of snow is set to blanket the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. The heaviest accumulation is expected from Sunday through Monday morning, potentially stalling travel at major hubs in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston.

On Thursday, AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said that the storm could cause as much as 4,000 flight cancellations across the country.

“Some airports that experience significant ice buildup or heavy snow may be forced to close for an extended period. As the storm’s scope expands, the number of displaced aircraft and crews will increase exponentially, with substantial ripple effects well beyond the storm’s direct reach,” he said.

Airlines Issuing Flight Waivers

As of midday Thursday, most major airlines have begun issuing travel waivers in anticipation of the storm’s arrival.

Air Canada has a waiver out for a rolling list of cities, beginning with Dallas (DFW) on Jan. 23 and expanding to include Nashville (BNA), Raleigh-Durham (RDU), Boston (BOS), Cleveland (CLE), Philadelphia (PHL), Pittsburgh (PIT), and the major metro hubs around New York City and Washington, D.C., through Jan. 26. Passengers traveling to or from these locations on the specified dates can rebook their flights without change fees or fare differences

American Airlines has issued a waiver covering 34 airports, stretching from Albuquerque (ABQ) eastward through the southern U.S. Key hubs included in the advisory are Atlanta (ATL), Charlotte (CLT), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), and Houston (IAH). The waiver applies to travel scheduled from Jan. 23 through Jan. 25, allowing passengers to rebook for travel through Jan. 28. This waiver may be expanded as the storm’s trajectory and impact become clearer.

Delta Air Lines has issued two separate waivers. The first, covering the eastern U.S. and Canada, includes 45 airports across New York, Pennsylvania, New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the Midwest, Quebec, and Ontario. This impacts several of the continent’s busiest hubs, including New York (JFK), Toronto (YYZ), Newark (EWR), and Boston (BOS). The waiver covers travel from Jan. 24 through Jan. 26, with rebooking permitted through Jan. 29.

Delta’s second waiver covers the Southern Plains and Southeast, affecting 41 airports. This includes mega-hubs such as Atlanta (ATL), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Charlotte (CLT), and Houston (IAH). Passengers booked to fly through these regions from Jan. 23 through Jan. 25 can change their flights for new travel no later than Jan. 28 without penalty.

JetBlue also has two waivers for the storm. The first covers 11 airports in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic—including major hubs like Atlanta (ATL), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), and Nashville (BNA)—for travel from Jan. 23 through Jan. 25. Rebooking is permitted through Jan. 28.

The second waiver targets 13 Northeast airports, including Boston (BOS), Philadelphia (PHL), and all three major New York City area airports (JFK, LGA, and EWR). This waiver applies to travel from Jan. 24 through Jan. 26, with a rebooking window through Jan. 31.

Southwest Airlines has a travel advisory for 26 airports across the South, Central Plains, and Mid-Atlantic. The list includes major operations in Dallas (DAL), Nashville (BNA), Baltimore (BWI), and Atlanta (ATL). Passengers traveling from Jan. 23 through Jan. 26 can rebook their flights within 14 days of their original date of travel without paying a fare difference

United Airlines has also released two waivers. Its Eastern U.S. waiver covers 35 airports, including hubs in Newark (EWR), Washington-Dulles (IAD), Boston (BOS), Baltimore (BWI), Charlotte (CLT), and Philadelphia (PHL). The waiver applies to travel from Jan. 24 through Jan. 26 and allows for flight changes without change fees or fare differences for new flights through Jan. 28.

The Southern U.S. waiver from United covers 26 airports, including Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Houston (IAH). This waiver applies to travel from Jan. 23 through Jan. 25, allowing for changes without fees or fare differences through Jan. 29.