The post-Christmas journey home turned into a frigid standstill for millions of Americans on Friday, December 26, 2025, as Winter Storm Devin slammed the Northeast and Midwest. The “diamond-dust” storm, characterized by heavy snow bands and treacherous icing, has forced airlines to scrap thousands of flights during one of the year’s busiest travel windows.
Aviation Crisis: Flight Cancellations & Delays
As of 4:04 PM ET on Friday, data from the flight-tracking site FlightAware painted a grim picture for air travel. The disruption is centered heavily on the Northeast Corridor and Great Lakes hubs.
| Metric | Statistics (as of Friday Afternoon) |
| Total Cancellations | 1,802 |
| Total Delays | 22,349 |
| Worst Affected Airline | JetBlue (225 cancellations) |
| Top Delay Hub | Chicago O’Hare (307+ delays) |
- Regional Ground Stops: The FAA warned of potential ground stops at JFK and LaGuardia through Friday night.
- Carrier Impact: Following JetBlue, Delta Air Lines (186), Republic Airways (155), and American Airlines (96) saw the highest number of grounded flights.
Winter Storm Devin: Forecast & Warnings
The National Weather Service (NWS) has placed over 23 million people under winter storm warnings through Saturday morning.
- Snowfall Totals: New York City, Long Island, and northeast New Jersey are bracing for 4 to 9 inches of snow. Some interior portions of the Hudson Valley and Connecticut could see isolated pockets of up to 10 inches.
- Ice Threat: A dangerous “ice storm” warning is in effect for parts of western Pennsylvania and Michigan, where accumulating ice on power lines has already left over 40,000 homes in the dark.
- State of Emergency: Governors Kathy Hochul (NY) and Phil Murphy (NJ) declared states of emergency on Friday afternoon, urging motorists to stay off the roads to allow salt trucks and plows to operate.
Energy & Market Impact
While power grids remain stable, the severe cold has sent ripples through the energy sector. U.S. natural gas futures climbed by 3.3% on Friday as demand for home heating fuel surged across the frozen Eastern Seaboard.