Bomb cyclone snarls U.S. travel as airlines issue waivers

A powerful winter system known as Winter Storm Ezra intensified into a forecasted bomb cyclone across Dec. 28, 29, 2025, rapidly deepening and producing blizzard conditions, heavy snow, ice, flooding rain and hurricane‑force gusts across the Midwest, Great Lakes and into the Northeast. Meteorologists warned the rapid pressure drop met bombogenesis criteria, and officials urged travelers to expect widespread disruption.

By late Dec. 29 the storm had already snarled post‑holiday travel: tens of thousands of flights were delayed or canceled across the U.S., major airports implemented ground stops, and airlines published a string of waivers to help passengers rebook or change plans. Federal agencies and emergency managers advised people to avoid nonessential travel and to monitor live flight and weather status feeds.

Storm overview and timeline

Storm reports and National Weather Service briefings showed that Ezra deepened quickly between Dec. 28 and Dec. 29, qualifying as a bomb cyclone after a rapid pressure fall over 24 hours. NWS meteorologists and the AP explained that bombogenesis usually signals aggressive, fast‑moving weather and can bring a mix of snow, sleet, high winds and coastal flooding.

The footprint of warnings was extensive: more than 8 million people were under winter‑storm warnings at the storm’s peak, and nearly 2 million were under blizzard warnings as the system moved through Midwestern and Northeastern states. Local authorities and some states declared travel advisories or states of emergency as conditions worsened.

FEMA issued advisories stressing dangerous road conditions, possible power outages and the need to prepare. Officials repeatedly urged residents to avoid non‑essential trips while road crews and utilities staged for heavy work amid the wind and ice.

Airports, FAA actions and ground stops

Airport operations were interrupted across the system’s path. The FAA imposed ground stops at Washington Dulles , in effect until 4:15 p.m. ET on Dec. 29 , and at Detroit Metropolitan, where a ground stop affected Delta operations through roughly 8 a.m. ET that day. Major hubs faced cascading delays as departures were held.

Smaller and regional airports also felt the impact. Departures from Albany, Bangor, Burlington and Minneapolis‑St. Paul were delayed while ground crews worked to deice aircraft and clear runways and taxiways. Prolonged deicing cycles and runway clearing compounded disruption during the busy post‑holiday travel window.

Long lines and wait times at ticket counters and customer service desks were reported as airlines coordinated rebookings and gate operations. Airport officials balanced clearing airfields with passenger safety, often extending ground delays until crews could certify runways and taxiways as safe.

Flight disruptions, cancellations and numbers

Flight tracking services reported heavy disruptions. According to consolidated trackers cited in industry reports, as of 3:25 p.m. ET on Dec. 29 nearly 6,000 flights were delayed and 751 were canceled that day; since the previous Friday weather problems had led to more than 3,600 cancellations and over 30,000 delays across the U.S.

Earlier in the post‑holiday window, multiple outlets reported more than 1,600 U.S. flight cancellations on Friday, Dec. 26. JetBlue alone canceled about 350 flights between Dec. 26 and Dec. 27, primarily across Northeastern routes, compounding difficulties for stranded or rescheduled travelers.

Some carriers recorded higher shares of affected flights. On Dec. 29 Reuters noted that Delta had the largest share of cancellations and delays that day; market reaction reflected the operational strain, with Delta shares falling nearly 3% in afternoon trading and United, American and Alaska Air Group shares each down about 2%.

Airlines issue waivers , rules, examples and how to use them

In response to the storm, major carriers issued fee waivers and greater flexibility. American, United, JetBlue and Delta informed the press they waived change fees for passengers affected by the storm, and other carriers including Southwest, Spirit, Frontier and Alaska posted regional waivers or fee flexibility in their advisories.

Waiver rules varied by airline and by region. United published multiple regional weather waivers with differing ticket‑purchase and travel‑date deadlines; Southwest, American and JetBlue posted regional fee‑waiver windows and same‑cabin or same‑city rebooking restrictions. Travel outlets and airline pages stressed that passengers should check each carrier’s waiver page for specific cutoffs and the exact rebooking or refund windows.

Travel agents and industry compendia published waiver codes and precise affected‑airports lists to help with refunds and reissues. Agents were directed to ATPA and other waiver lists for the codes tied to airports such as JFK, LGA, EWR, BOS, ORD and MSP, which enabled agents to reprice or reissue tickets under the carriers’ storm policies.

On the ground: road hazards, power outages and safety advice

The storm’s impacts went beyond airports. Media and local reports described multi‑vehicle pileups, road closures, blackout pockets and stations overwhelmed by demand for shelter and assistance. State highway agencies closed sections of interstates and secondary roads as visibility dropped and drifting snow made driving treacherous.

Emergency management officials warned that blizzard‑like conditions and ice would make driving dangerous. FEMA urged people to avoid travel unless essential and to be prepared for possible extended power outages by assembling emergency kits and checking on vulnerable neighbors.

For travelers on the ground, officials and media recommended monitoring conditions from reliable sources , National Weather Service alerts, FAA notices and airline status pages , and using live trackers like FlightAware’s flight map for the latest cancellation and delay data. Passengers were advised to keep phones charged, retain tickets and waiver codes, and contact carriers promptly for rebooking options if affected.

Winter Storm Ezra’s rapid intensification into a bomb cyclone brought a concentrated burst of travel disruption across a wide U.S. swath during a peak holiday period, testing airline operations and emergency planning. The scale of cancellations and delays, together with ground‑stop policies and airport slowdowns, left many travelers adjusting plans and seeking refunds or rebookings under evolving waiver terms.

Passengers and agents were repeatedly told to check live airline and FAA/NWS feeds, consult waiver pages for exact rebooking or refund deadlines, and prioritize safety over travel until roads and runways were certified safe. The storm served as a reminder that sudden meteorological intensification can ripple through transportation networks and financial markets in short order.