Northeast snowstorm and TSA PreCheck confusion disrupt U.S. air travel

A major snowstorm in the Northeast, combined with brief TSA PreCheck pauses, triggered widespread U.S. flight disruption. Nationwide cancellations reached at least 8,000, with further ripple effects into Monday. LAX recorded 82 cancellations and 101 delays, while Chicago’s O’Hare logged 133 cancellations and Midway 23. Travelers also faced long lines at Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and significant fare spikes on certain routes. Authorities later confirmed PreCheck would continue, though adjustments were made locally to prioritize core security operations.

A powerful snowstorm impacting the Northeast, alongside brief and quickly reversed changes to TSA PreCheck operations, caused widespread disruption across U.S. air travel. The combined effect led to cancellations, delays, and long security lines at several major airports.

Nationwide, at least 8,000 flights were canceled as the storm moved through, with more than 5,000 cancellations already recorded into Monday, indicating ongoing ripple effects. Passengers at Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports reported extended queues at both domestic and international checkpoints. Some travelers attempting to reroute faced steep prices and limited availability on key Northeast routes.

On the West Coast, TSA PreCheck was briefly closed at LAX on Sunday morning, sending all passengers to standard screening before the service reopened shortly after. During that period, Los Angeles International Airport reported 82 cancellations and 101 delays.

In Chicago, travelers encountered both weather-related schedule issues and confusion over TSA services. Although a suspension of PreCheck and Global Entry had been announced to begin at 5 a.m. local time, passengers were observed using PreCheck lanes by 6 a.m. TSA subsequently confirmed PreCheck would continue, with operations adjusted case by case. Chicago O’Hare reported 133 cancellations with average delays around 16 minutes, while Midway recorded 23 cancellations with average delays under 15 minutes. Additionally, some courtesy and congressional escort services were paused to redirect staff to core security functions.

The disruption extended into the start of the week, with continuing cancellations and delays as airlines and airports worked through backlogs from the storm. Travelers at affected airports were advised to allow extra time for security screening and to check flight status frequently as conditions and operations evolved through the day.

Confirmed affected locations included Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway, with both cancellations and delays reported across these hubs.