A powerful winter storm sweeping across the southern United States caused widespread travel disruption on Sunday, with Charlotte Douglas International
Airport among the worst affected following one of the heaviest snowfalls the city has seen in years. Nearly a foot of snow fell across Charlotte over the weekend, grounding flights and causing extensive delays as airlines and airport crews worked to restore operations in freezing conditions. On Saturday, 31 January, 2,469 flights within, into or out of the United States were cancelled, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. American Airlines accounted for 581 of those cancellations, reflecting the scale of disruption at Charlotte, one of the carrier’s main hubs. Charlotte Douglas International Airport cancelled 565 flights that day, representing about 86% of its scheduled operations, after snow and ice forced a ground stop.
Winter Storm Gianna is impacting the Charlotte region. CLT remains open and operational, with Airport teams actively responding to conditions.
Travelers should know:
✈️ Check directly with your airline for the latest flight information before heading to the Airport.
❄️ A… pic.twitter.com/BLNQ9FZdov— CLT Airport (@CLTAirport) January 31, 2026
Disruptions continued into Sunday, February 1. Nationwide, 1,233 flights were cancelled, with American Airlines responsible for 424 of those. Charlotte airport reported 387 cancellations, roughly 56% of its scheduled flights.
Despite the conditions, Charlotte Douglas International Airport said it remained open and operational on Sunday as Winter Storm Gianna continued to affect the region.
In a post on X, the airport said teams were responding to rapidly changing weather, with a 300-member snow team working continuously to clear runways, taxiways, roads, sidewalks and pedestrian areas. Passengers were advised to check directly with their airlines for the latest flight information before travelling to the airport.
The airport said TSA Checkpoints 1 and 3 were closed for the remainder of the day, while Checkpoint 2 remained open. Shuttle buses were operating on a reduced schedule and at slower speeds for safety reasons, and the CLT Airport Overlook was closed. Travellers were urged to remain patient and prioritise safety as winter conditions persisted.
Charlotte airport recorded about 11 inches of snow on Saturday, while surrounding areas including Harrisburg, China Grove and Kannapolis received at least a foot. Authorities reported around 750 vehicle crashes across North Carolina and urged residents to stay off the roads.
Winter Storm Impact
Winter storm warnings were in effect across North and South Carolina and parts of Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia.
The storm’s impact was felt across the wider region. More than 600 flights were cancelled on Saturday at Atlanta’s international airport, the world’s busiest, with further cancellations reported early on Sunday. Around 156,000 customers remained without power across southern states, particularly in Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana.
The severe weather was accompanied by an influx of Arctic air, pushing temperatures sharply lower. Davis, West Virginia recorded a temperature of minus 28°F (minus 33°C), the coldest reading in the lower 48 US states.
