Flight Cancelations in the Thousands Ahead of Northeast Blizzard

Thousands of flights to New York, Boston and other cities in the path of the coming big Northeast blizzard have been canceled already.

The snowstorm, which could dump 18 to 30 inches of snow across New England Friday through Sunday, is affecting air travel nationwide. 

In addition, Amtrak is canceling many northeast-bound trains Friday and Saturday from Union Station in DC due to snow accumulating on the tracks. (Check Amtrak.com for Acela and regional train cancelations and weather information.)

USA Today reported early Friday morning that 3,000 flights have been canceled so far. The newspaper reports that airports expected to see cancelations or closures include: 

• New York JFK
• Newark Liberty
• New York LaGuardia
• Boston
• Hartford
• Providence
• Manchester (N.H.)
• Long Island MacArthur
• Westchester County (N.Y.)

Local weather information and airline contact information is available at each airport's website. 

The blizzard (named "Nemo" by the The Weather Channel) is part of a developing nor'easter moving up the Atlantic coast, according to the National Weather Service.

Northern Virginia will be largely spared from snow this weekend, though a few inches of snow and ice accumulated in Loudoun County Friday morning. 

However, the storm is sure to leave some passengers stranded at airports in Virginia.

At Washington Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, any stranded passengers will likely be offered pillows and blankets for "major flight cancelations," said Kimberly Gibbs, a spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

Passengers should plan in advance for flight cancelations/delays to the Northeast by checking with their airline for their rebooking policies," she noted. "Often airlines will make adjustments to these policies for cities affected by inclement weather." 

Passengers, family or friends can contact airlines by calling these phone numbers or checking their Web sites. FlightAware also offers information on flight cancellations.

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