Thousands of flights cancelled in the US and Canada due to blizzards

Thousands of flights have been delayed or cancelled as freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall brought by storm Elliott hit much of the United States, where several states have declared a state of emergency.

More than 5,500 flights were cancelled Thursday and 24,000 were delayed, according to flight tracking site FlightAware. Chicago and Denver airports were particularly hard hit.

On Friday noon, Flightaware showed more than 4,000 cancelled flights in the United States, the most affected airports being those of Seattle, New York, Chicago or Detroit.

Southwest Airlines has been affected the most, with almost 800 flights, about 20% of its whole schedule, cancelled for the day. Alaska Airlines cancelled 41% of its schedule with 321 flights grounded. FedEx and United Parcel Service warned that packages could be delayed as a massive winter storm brought high winds, bitter cold and snow to large swaths of the U.S. ahead of Christmas weekend.

Several states have declared states of emergency, including New York, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Georgia and North Carolina.

Because of the snow and strong winds, “blizzard conditions can develop very quickly,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear told CNN on Friday morning, adding that the National Guard had been deployed in the state. The icy front in the United States should strengthen by Friday and continue through the Christmas weekend. Its power caused the National Weather Service agency in Buffalo, New York, to say it was “a once-in-a-generation storm.”

Canada is also heavily affected. The country’s main airport, in Toronto, was racking up flight delays and cancellations. Canadian carrier WestJet has also cancelled all flights at Toronto Pearson International Airport today, blaming the “prolonged and extreme weather events” across Canada.