LAX Cancels Flights Due to East Coast and Midwest Winter Storms

By City News Service

A massive winter storm battering the East Coast and Midwest resulted in the cancellations of 24 arriving flights and six departing flight today at Los Angeles International Airport, where 41 flights were canceled Thursday.

The storm, dubbed "Hercules," has been disrupting air travel across the country as it dumps more than a foot of snow on some states.

According to officials at LAX, a total of 30 flights scheduled at the airport through midnight have been canceled. That includes six departing flights -- two JetBlue flights and four American flights. Affected passengers were expected to be re-booked on other flights throughout the weekend, airport officials said.

The flight delays began Thursday, one of the busiest travel days of the year, with thousands of people looking to return home after the holidays.

The winter storm grounded hundreds of flights in cities including New York, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia.

Thousands of people were stranded overnight at LAX, Fox11 reported. Airport officials urged passengers to check with their airlines for flight status.

The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for Long Island, northeastern and southern Massachusetts, New Hampshire, southern Maine and Cape Cod. More than a foot of snow fell in some areas near Chicago, according to the NWS.