‘Hazardous travel conditions’: Winter storm cancels 1,800 flights in US; state of emergency in New York, New Jersey | WATCH

More than 1,800 flights were cancelled in the United States due to winter storm Devin during the peak holiday travel period on Friday (Dec 26). The heavy snowfall has prompted authorities in New York and New Jersey to declare a state of emergency as the storm disrupted travel for thousands ahead of the New Year. Severe storm warnings and heavy snow have been forecast across the Midwest and the northeast parts of the country.

Reuters reported that a total of 1,802 flights were cancelled, while 22,349 were delayed till Friday afternoon. The National Weather Service has issued an advisory for 40 million Americans, warning them of “hazardous travel conditions for the Great Lakes into the northern Mid-Atlantic and southern New England today through Saturday morning.”

“For areas farther north from upstate New York to the Tri-State area, including New York City and Long Island, 4-8 inches of snowfall is forecast for late Friday into night,” according to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center.

New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and LaGuardia Airport warned passengers of potential delays or cancellations of flights as the country’s largest city braced for up to 10 inches (25 centimetres) of snow overnight – the most in four years.

The temperatures dropped in parts of the US over the weekend following Christmas after an Arctic blast swept down from Canada. Meanwhile, 30 million Americans remained under flood or storm advisories in California, which has been witnessing torrential rains.

State of emergency declared in New York, New Jersey

“As widespread snowfall is expected to start in New York City and its surrounding areas this evening, I will declare a State of Emergency to ensure that our agencies and local partners have the resources and tools they need to respond to the storm,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said.

Meanwhile, New Jersey and Pennsylvania issued commercial vehicle restrictions on some roads, including several interstate highways.

“This storm will cause dangerous road conditions and impact holiday travel,” New Jersey’s acting governor Tahesha Way said in a statement. “We are urging travelers to avoid travel during the storm and allow crews to tend to the roads.”