Delta Air Lines says it is offering customers flexible, no‑fee options to adjust their travel plans as forecasters warn of a major winter storm expected to bring snow, sleet, and freezing rain this weekend, potentially lasting into Monday.
Winter Storm Updates—Which Areas Are Affected
Forecasters at the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC) have said that the upcoming winter storm’s projected track has shifted slightly north, expanding the areas expected to face hazardous conditions and “widespread travel disruptions.”
The expansive storm is expected to bring bands of heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain from the Southern Rockies and Plains into the Mid‑South starting Friday, then track across the East Coast this weekend (and potentially into Monday for New England), with “extreme” cold extending snow and ice impacts.
Winter storm watches spanned large swathes of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, and Missouri as of early Wednesday, with the National Weather Service warning of “life‑threatening” conditions in some areas.
Stephanie Abrams, on‑camera meteorologist at The Weather Channel, said in an email to Newsweek: “This is a plan‑changing winter storm stretching from Texas through the Southeast and into the I‑95 corridor, with significant impacts expected this weekend. Travel conditions will deteriorate quickly as rain changes to ice, sleet, and snow, and widespread power outages are possible in areas that rarely deal with ice.”
This means travelers—including those planning to fly over the next few days and into the weekend—should be prepared for possible schedule changes and cancellations across multiple U.S. airports.
Delta’s Response to the Winter Storm
Delta said that impactful winter weather, “including freezing rain, sleet and ice accumulation across Texas, the Southeast—including Delta’s Atlanta hub—and into the Northeast” is expected to arrive over the next several days.
It is therefore—for the safety of its customers and its staff—offering travelers with existing bookings the option to change their plans at no additional cost.
It has urged passengers with existing bookings to manage any changes via the Delta website or its Fly Delta app and has said that if a flight is canceled due to bad weather, or a delay causes them to miss a connecting flight, Delta “will work to rebook customers on the next available flight.”
Delta’s Advice to Customers
Delta is advising travelers to monitor the status of their flights closely (via the website or app) and to sign up for mobile or email alerts, noting that it always provides “as much notice as possible about changes to flight schedules.”
