Flight Cancelations, Delays 'For Days': Check Flight Here

WASHINGTON, D.C. —The one-two wallop of two feet of snow, followed by brutal north winds, means it will be Monday at the earliest before planes start to fly out of the nation’s capital again, and residual delays from the East Coast storm could last nationwide for days.

United Airlines said Saturday afternoon that the winter storm pummeling its hubs at Dulles International Airport near Washington, Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J., and at other airports throughout the region, means extended delays and flight cancellations.

United said on its website that the airline will not operate Saturday and Sunday service at Dulles and other Washington metro area airports; flights should gradually resume on Monday. The airline plans to start very limited operations on Sunday afternoon at its Newark Liberty Airport hub and other New York City metro area airports.

Dulles was shut down on Saturday, with snowplows trying to clear runways as winds blew drifts back in behind plows. The airport has received 23.5 inches of snow as of 5 p.m. Saturday.

A video of the massive snow-clearing effort showed the airport’s control tower nearly invisible through the blizzard.

»Check your United flight status here

Passengers should check directly with their airline to confirm delays/cancellations and re-booking procedures. Dulles officials said it is too early to know when flights could resume after the snowfall ends.

The story was the same at Washington’s Reagan National Airport, with no flights in or out on Saturday, and Sunday looking iffy for backed-up air travel.

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said the combination of road and public transportation closures in surrounding communities make resumption of normal flight operations at the airports unlikely on Sunday.

Passengers should contact their airline directly for specific flight information and to re-book any flights if necessary.

“Our priority is protecting the safety of passengers and employees who will travel to the airports when flights resume,” MWAA noted. “Snow teams have been working, and will continue to work, around the clock at both airports to remove snow from runways, taxiways, gates and roadways.”

“We will continue to evaluate conditions, and if the runways can be safely opened sooner we will do so,” MWAA said.

And at Baltimore Washington International Airport, all departures for Saturday night are canceled, as well as most arrivals. Many airlines are waiving change restrictions for flights through BWI.

»Images and video of snowstorm at Dulles International Airport courtesy of YouTube