Frigid temperatures and blistering winds continued to disrupt air journey for a 3rd straight day as airways scratched hundreds of flights amid a brutal bout of winter climate.

Carriers canceled greater than 2,100 flights into and out of the U.S. on Monday and delayed almost 3,500 others, in accordance with information from FlightAware exhibits. The arctic blast, which started Friday, triggered hundreds extra flight cancellations and greater than 16,000 delays over the weekend, in accordance with the monitoring service.

As of early Monday, 142 million folks within the U.S. had been below wind chill alerts, whereas 100 million had acquired winter climate alerts, in accordance with CBS New senior climate and local weather producer David Parkinson. The bitter chilly and snow, which has shuttered faculties, blocked roads and knocked out energy in numerous states, is predicted to taper off round midweek. 

However earlier than it recedes the storm may convey sub-zero temperatures to some southern states, whereas bone-chilling winds blowing from the Northern Rockies and into Iowa may plunge temperatures to a near-record low of round 30 levels under zero within the Midwest, in accordance with the Nationwide Climate Service. The freezing temperatures come as Iowa voters kick off the Republican presidential contest, elevating issues about voter turnout.

Vacationers in some cities took the brunt of the cruel circumstances. At Chicago’s Halfway Worldwide Airport, 30% of flights had been canceled, in accordance with FlightAware. Airways additionally nixed roughly a fifth of flights at Dallas Love Subject Airport, Buffalo Niagara Worldwide Airport and Nashville Worldwide Airport.

Southwest Airways on Monday canceled 400 journeys, or 16% of its every day scheduled flights, probably the most of any main U.S. airline. The cancellations mark the newest of a number of snafus which have affected the airline’s flight schedules in recent times because it struggles with software program system points and employee shortages.

The deep freeze is not the one issue behind the latest rash of flight cancellations and delays. A whole lot of flights operated by Alaska Airways and United Airways’ had been canceled final week after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered the grounding of each airways’ Boeing 737 Max 9 aircrafts. 

The orders got here after a “door plug” fell off an Alaska Airways Max 9 airplane throughout a flight earlier this month, prompting the FAA to launch an investigation into the planes’ manufacturing.