New York -
More than 3 000 flights were cancelled or delayed on Wednesday in the US north-east as a winter storm delivered freezing rain and snow ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the year's biggest travel weekends.
A wintry mix was falling in Boston, Philadelphia, New York and Washington, according to the National Weather Service, which forecast “havoc” for travellers along the east coast from the Carolinas up through New England.
The storm is not predicted to leave more than 5cm of snow.
But with the American Automobile Association predicting 46.3 million Americans will travel 80km or more for the holiday, most by car, the bad weather could create big problems on highways.
By Wednesday afternoon, 597 flights had been cancelled and another 2 537 were delayed.
The most affected airports were Philadelphia, Newark in New Jersey and LaGuardia in New York.
Reagan National Airport in Washington was also impacted, according to Flightaware.com.
United Airlines reported average delays of 90 minutes at JFK International in New York and 190 minutes in Newark and LaGuardia.
Flight traffic at Boston's Logan airport was also disrupted.
Thanksgiving, celebrated each year on the fourth on Thursday in November, is a popular US holiday.
Americans gather with family for a big meal that traditionally features roast turkey, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie. - Sapa-AFP