Winter Storm Gianna is rapidly intensifying into a bomb cyclone, causing major disruption across the eastern United States for millions of Americans relying on transport hubs.
On Saturday, the flight tracking website FlightAware’s Misery Map revealed hundreds of flight cancellations and delays across major Southern hubs, as airlines and airports brace for blizzard conditions.
The worst impacts of Storm Gianna are expected in the Carolinas and parts of Georgia and Virginia, threatening whiteout conditions, near‑blizzard winds, and dangerous travel both on the ground and in the air, forecasters said.
Winter storm warnings and advisories stretched across at least 16 states, and the National Weather Service (NWS) warned of “whiteout conditions” and potentially life‑threatening travel in parts of North Carolina.
Air Travel Blackspots
According to the FlightAware, air travel disruption is mounting as Storm Gianna intensifies. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia is the worst affected, with 145 flights cancelled and 34 delayed as of 11.25 a.m. ET.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina has 94 cancelled flights and 59 delayed.
Smaller coastal airports are also straining under the impact of the storm, with Wilmington in North Carolina, and Charleston in South Carolina both recording multiple cancellations on Saturday.
At the time of writing, FlightAware has reported 1,870 flight cancellations within, into or out of the U.S. today.
Cancellations were highest for Delta Air Lines (474), American Airlines (287), PSA Airlines (227), Piedmont (175), Republic (123), and Southwest (111), FlightAware reported.
Why Is Storm Gianna A ‘Bomb Cyclone’?
Storm Gianna is undergoing explosive cyclogenesis — a rapid pressure drop of more than 24 millibars in 24 hours — transforming it into a classic bomb cyclone capable of producing blizzard conditions, near‑zero visibility and hurricane‑force gusts along parts of the Carolina and Virginia coasts.
North Carolina sits at the heart of the storm’s core, with 8 to 12 inches of snow expected in parts of the east. Blizzard conditions are also possible across eastern North Carolina, the Outer Banks and southeastern Virginia, while parts of New England could see six to 12 inches of snow as the storm tilts northward.
What People Are Saying
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, said: “As a storm rapidly strengthens into a bomb cyclone, it will bring wind-driven snow and blizzard conditions to parts of the Carolinas this weekend. The storm’s snow is forecast to slip to the east of New York City.
“Travel may be shut down as snow clogs portions of interstates 26, 40, 64, 75, 77, 81, 85 and 95 from Tennessee to the Atlantic Coast in the Carolinas and southern Virginia.
“It is possible that so much snow may fall in Charlotte to shut down flight operations for a time. Many regional airports in the Carolinas may have to close due to the significant snowstorm.”
The NWS forecast office in Wakefield, Virginia, said: “Whiteout conditions are expected and will make travel treacherous and potentially life‑threatening. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches.”
What Happens Next
Forecast models indicate that Storm Gianna will intensify offshore tonight, before sweeping up the Eastern Seaboard through Sunday.
Coastal flooding, sharp temperature drops and widespread travel hazards are expected to continue throughout the weekend.
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