Plane Passengers Face Travel Nightmare as Winter Snow is Back in the Northeast

Travel nightmare ensued in the Northeast US as winter snow returns in the region, causing some plane passengers to be stranded.

Local media reports said travelers on their grounded planes had to wait for several hours due to the travel chaos caused by the inclement weather.

For instance, flight disruptions have been reported at the Boston Logan International Airport in Massachusetts.

For almost two weeks since December, different parts of the US have experienced the return of winter weather, wherein blizzard conditions and freezing temperatures are likely.

Thick precipitation of snowflakes is also affecting visibility of flight, resulting in the delay, diversion, or cancellations of flights.

Both domestic and international flights passing through the US are susceptible to these hazards.

Northeast US Travel Disruption

(Photo : BULENT KILIC/AFP via Getty Images)

AccuWeather reports that airline passengers experienced the travel turmoil at the Boston Logan International Airport, even if the said part of the state received less snow than other areas across the Northeast.

On the evening of Sunday, December 11, Delta Airlines passengers reported of being stuck on the tarmac for hours at the said airport.

Based on previous reports, some areas in the region will experience their first taste of the winter blast this December.

Over the weekend, travel delays were reported in Worcester, Massachusetts, where at least 70 crashes occurred on Sunday, WBZ reported Brandon Truitt posted on Twitter, as cited by the US weather forecasting company.

However, flight disruptions caused by the snow storm were the most impactful.

For instance, the Boston Logan International Airport had an average departure delay of 23 minutes with delayed departures of up to 56%, according to the live air traffic website Flight Radar 24.

Meanwhile, the John F. Kennedy or JFK International Airport in New York saw a total of 80% delayed departures due to the cold weather.

Also Read: Massive Snow Storm to Cause Blackouts, Flight Delays and Traffic Difficulties

March 2013 Nor'easter

There have been multiple incidents of disruption during winter storms in the Northeast and its surrounding regions in recent years. 

However, one of the most notable of them was the March 2013 Nor'easter which covered a vast portion of land with snow, stretching from West Virginia into Canada and from the west Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean.

These details were according to the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

During the Nor'easter, parts of the Massachusetts coast also suffered the impact of storm surge, which led to street flooding, structural damage, and erosion that time, NASA adds.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), a Nor'easter is described as a storm along the East Coast of North America, and it is called as such since the winds over the coastal area are normally from the northeast direction.

While a Nor'easter can occur at any time of the year, they are more common and violent between the months of September and April, the NWS says.

Related Article: Major Winter Storm Ravaged the Northeast as Millions Travel Home Post-Thanksgiving