More than 2,000 flights canceled on December 26 as winter weather snags holiday travel

Winter storms and record-breaking cold temperatures across the U.S. affected thousands of people’s holiday travels as flight cancellations and delays are continuing into Monday.

More than 2,100 flights within, into, or out of the U.S. were canceled on Monday, as of 12 p.m. ET, and more than 4,000 such flights experienced delays, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.

Cancellations and delays are widespread across the country with Denver International Airport; Harry Reid International Airport in Paradise, Nevada; Chicago Midway International; and Baltimore/Washington International Airport among the most affected locations.

These travel snags were a continuation of delays and cancellations occurring in the lead up to Christmas. Between Wednesday and Saturday, U.S. airlines canceled more than 12,000 flights, or about 14% of their schedules, according to CNBC.

On Monday morning, Southwest was the most affected airline, with 33% of its scheduled flights canceled, and 30% delays. On Twitter, Southwest wrote that it was continuing to experience high call volumes resulting in busy signals, and advised that travelers check their flight status, or use the company’s self-service tools to change or cancel their flight, online.

Travel was affected in large part by Winter Storm Elliot, a cross-country storm that dropped 43 inches of snow on Buffalo, New York; knocked out power for more than 2 million people in the U.S. and Canada, from Quebec to Tennessee; and caused below-freezing temperatures for multiple states. Staffing shortages also played a role in cancellations and delays, according to CNBC, which reported that Southwest decided to cancel more flights on Christmas Eve due to crews and planes being “out of position for their assignments” or due for federally required rest.