Thursday’s first 1,000 flights canceled nationwide, disrupting holiday travel

CNN
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More than 1,000 flights have been canceled across the United States as severe winter weather threatens holiday travel, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.

As of Thursday morning, 1,116 flights have been canceled across the country.

Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport leads the way, followed by Denver International and Chicago’s Midway International. Cancellations at those airports could have a wider impact as they are busy hubs where passengers often change flights to reach other destinations. Thursday is expected to be a busy day for pre-Christmas travel.

Weather forecasters are predicting “bomb cyclones” and the National Weather Service says more than 100 million people are under winter warnings and wind chill warnings — about a third of the U.S. population.

Temperatures in Denver are forecast to drop to 10 degrees below zero during the day on Thursday. Chicago will see blizzard conditions with snow beginning Thursday afternoon through Friday morning.

Many airlines offer weather exemptions, and travelers should check if their flights are still scheduled to depart before leaving for the airport. Experts warn to arrive at the airport early to beat the crowds.

— CNN’s Dave Hennon contributed to this report.