Severe weather and the rise of COVID-19 cases are putting a wrench in travel plans as airline passengers face flight cancelations at airports.
According to tracking service FlightAware, more than 8,600 flights were delayed, and nearly 5,000 flights were canceled on Friday as of 3 p.m. ET.
USA Today and the Associated Press reported that snow blanketed portions of the south on Thursday before covering eastern states.
In New York and Boston, a combined 662 flights were canceled Friday because of the winter weather, according to FlightAware.
Staffing shortages are also taking hold due to a surge of COVID-19 cases amid the spread of the omicron variant, the news outlets reported.
Holiday travelers also dealt with the headache at airports after more than 3,200 flights in the U.S. were canceled on Monday.
