More than 7,000 flights were affected by severe thunderstorms on July 24, 2026, across the eastern United States and parts of Canada, resulting in over 2,000 cancellations and more than 5,000 delays. The weather event caused widespread operational issues at major airports stretching from Boston to Washington, D.C., and extending into the New York City metropolitan area and Toronto, Canada.
Airports Under FAA Ground Stops Amid Severe Weather
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued ground stops at several key airports due to the thunderstorms. Affected airports included Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) in Maryland, Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) in Massachusetts, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Teterboro Airport
(TEB) in New Jersey, LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Westchester County Airport (HPN) in New York, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) in Pennsylvania, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) in Virginia. Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) in Canada was also placed under a ground stop.
Weather conditions included flood warnings and tornado watches over the Northeast. Two tornadoes were reported: one in northeast Pennsylvania and another in northern New Jersey, further complicating air traffic operations in those regions.
Airline Response to Flight Disruptions
JetBlue, United Airlines, and American Airlines implemented flexible travel policies to assist customers affected by the widespread
disruptions. JetBlue allowed affected passengers to rebook flights or request refunds through Sunday, July 26, 2026. United Airlines waived trip change fees for flights originally departing between July 20 and July 23, 2026, permitting fee-free rescheduling on United flights with matching origin, destination, and cabin class. American Airlines required customers to rebook affected flights by Wednesday, July 29, 2026, with new travel to be completed by the following Friday.
New York City Area Faces Significant Flight Cancelations and Delays
Within the New York City metropolitan region, nearly 600 departing flights were canceled and over 500 others delayed on July 24. John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) was not subjected to
a formal ground stop but saw an average ground delay lasting approximately four hours due to the severe weather impacts.
