The Thanksgiving weekend in the United States turned out to be a nightmare for travellers as winter storms brought unusually cold temperatures and snow to significant parts of the country. Over 1,400 flights were delayed and 56 were cancelled because of severe weather conditions, which caused chaos for passengers.

The winter storms made travel arrangements complicated, especially in the East Coast and northeastern United States on Thursday. The forecast saw an Arctic system hit areas close to the Great Lakes with significant snowfall throughout the weekend.

According to FlightAware's data, as of 7:00 pm Eastern Time on Thursday, 56 flights across the country were cancelled, and an additional 1,458 flights experienced delays. FlightAware's "MiseryMap" showed that between 4 pm ET and 7 pm ET on Thursday, 133 delays and six cancellations occurred across various major airports.

Some of the major airports with delays and cancellations included New York City's JFK International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport, which had a combined 22 delayed flights. Four flight cancellations and three flight delays happened at Boston Logan International Airport.

Travellers were advised to check their flight status directly with airlines and airports and arrive early at the airport. Travel experts also recommended making itineraries as flexible as possible.

Despite all these weather concerns, holiday travel is expected to reach unprecedented levels, according to AAA, which expects 80 million Americans to travel more than 50 miles, a historic high.

The winter storms are predicted to continue through the rest of the weekend with expectations of cold and stormy conditions in many parts. Passengers are therefore urged to keep themselves abreast of the latest weather conditions and flight information in a bid to reduce inconvenience brought about by their travels.

Also read: Red Alert Issued for Tirupati, Nellore; AP heavy rains