November 13, 2026 — An unusual November storm system hammered New York’s airports on Thursday, November 12, and cancellations at Kennedy were still elevated on Friday morning.
The National Weather Service put Queens, including JFK, under a tornado warning from 1:14 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET as a rotating storm moved toward the airport. The FAA issued ground stops at JFK and LaGuardia, while Newark ran under ground stops and delay programs. Heavy rain flooded roads around Kennedy, closing part of the JFK Expressway, and taxi delays topped 90 minutes. No full airport closure was reported.
FlightAware counted more than 1,000 cancellations nationwide on November 12. JFK led the country, and on Friday morning it had about 78 more cancellations, with LaGuardia and Boston Logan also running above normal.
| Airport | Cancellations, Nov. 12 |
|---|---|
| New York JFK | 287 |
| New York LaGuardia | 280 |
| Newark Liberty | 160 |
| Boston Logan | 116 |
| Philadelphia | 91 |
What it means for non-revs
- Thursday’s cancellations pushed thousands of stranded passengers onto Friday and Saturday flights out of JFK, LGA and EWR. Expect full flights and long standby lists through the weekend.
- Consider listing out of a less-affected airport (or a later day) and carry on bags so you can switch flights easily.
- If you’re driving to JFK, allow extra time; flooding closed part of the JFK Expressway on Thursday.
Sources
- TheTravel — FAA Grounds Flights At 5 Different Northeast Airports
- The Weather Channel — Tornadoes and flash flooding hit New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania
- Deep Arrival — New York City Airports Storm Delays Top 90 Minutes Thursday
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