Winter Storm Fernando Expected to Cause Mass Flight Cancellations in New York, Boston, and More

Another major storm hitting the Northeast U.S. on Sunday is expected to again cause headaches for thousands of travelers in New York, Boston, and more over the next few days.

A “blockbuster storm” is expected to drop between 2 and 4 inches of snow per hour in parts of the Northeast starting Sunday, impacting travel for as many as 40 million people, according to AccuWeather.

AccuWeather is forecasting up to two feet of snow in parts of Long Island and Cape Cod, up to 18 inches in Boston, 14 inches in New York City and Philadelphia, 6 inches in Baltimore, and 3 inches in Washington, D.C.

It’s not just the snow that is expected to wreak havoc—wind gusts of up to 70 mph are expected along parts of the Atlantic shore, making mass power outages a very real possibility for many residents.

Several states, including New Jersey and New York, have already issued states of emergency amid rare blizzard warnings, as everyone in the area is being advised to stay home.

According to FlightAware, more than 4,000 Sunday flights have already been cancelled, including hundreds scheduled from New York’s JFK International (JFK) and Laguardia (LGA), Newark Liberty (EWR), Philadelphia International (PHL), and Boston Logan (BOS).

Monday is also up to more than 4,000 cancellations as airlines get ahead of the storm’s expected impact. That again includes hundreds at New York City-area airports, Boston Logan (BOS), Philadelphia (PHL), and Reagan National (DCA). That number could get even higher once the full extend of the storm is known.

Airline Waivers

While questions remain regarding how long the storm’s impact will disrupt travel, as of Sunday, airlines are allowing most travelers to rebook their flights without penalty.

American Airlines

American has a waiver for 17 Northeast airports, including major hubs and coastal cities such as Boston (BOS), New York (JFK and LGA), Newark (EWR), Philadelphia (PHL), and Washington, D.C. (DCA and IAD). The waiver applies to those who purchased tickets by February 19 for travel originally scheduled on February 22 or 23. Travelers can rebook their flights for travel beginning as early as February 20 or as late as February 26, 2026, without paying change fees or fare differences.

Delta Air Lines

Delta’s waiver covers travel to, from, or through several key Northeast airports including Boston (BOS), New York (JFK and LGA), Newark (EWR), Hartford (BDL), and Baltimore (BWI). To qualify, tickets must have been issued on or before February 20 for travel dates on February 22 or 23.

Delta is allowing passengers to rebook for new travel on or before February 28, with the change fee and fare difference waived. If travel is rescheduled beyond that, the change fee may be waived, but a difference in fare will apply.

United Airlines

United has issued a “Northeast Winter Weather” waiver covering a broad range of airports, including Newark (EWR), Washington-Dulles (IAD), Washington-National (DCA), Boston (BOS), Philadelphia (PHL), and Baltimore (BWI). This policy applies to tickets purchased on or before February 19 for travel on February 22 through February 24. United will waive change fees and fare differences for new United-operated flights departing by February 27.

JetBlue Airways

JetBlue is offering a waiver for travel through New York (JFK, LGA, and EWR), Boston (BOS), Philadelphia (PHL), and Hartford (BDL). The waiver is available for customers scheduled to fly on February 22 or 23, 2026, who booked their original travel on or before February 20.

Passengers can rebook for travel through Friday, February 27, 2026, with no change or cancel fees or fare differences. Additionally, those whose flights are canceled by the airline have the option to receive a full refund to their original form of payment.