Severe Weather, Mexico Unrest Disrupt Air Travel

Thousands of flights canceled or delayed due to snowstorm, security concerns in Mexico

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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A powerful snowstorm in the northeastern U.S. and security issues in parts of western Mexico led to thousands of flight cancellations and delays on Monday, creating cascading disruptions across airline networks. The winter weather in the U.S. and the partial government shutdown, which temporarily halted the Global Entry program, also compounded travel challenges for passengers.

Why it matters

The overlapping travel disruptions highlight the vulnerability of major airline hubs and interconnected flight networks to severe weather and geopolitical events. The situation underscores the need for airlines and travelers to be prepared for unexpected disruptions that can quickly ripple through the system.

The details

The winter storm brought heavy snow, strong winds and blizzard warnings that slowed or halted transportation networks across the Northeast. More than 5,600 flights into, out of or within the U.S. were canceled, with the highest numbers at airports in New York, Boston, Newark, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, the killing of a senior Mexican cartel leader led to retaliatory attacks that prompted travel advisories and flight suspensions or reductions to destinations in Jalisco state. The partial government shutdown also temporarily halted the Global Entry program, leading to longer wait times for some returning passengers at international airports.

  • On Sunday, the killing of Mexico's most powerful cartel leader, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, in Jalisco state led to a series of retaliatory attacks.
  • On Monday, the National Weather Service called travel conditions 'extremely treacherous' and 'nearly impossible' in areas hit hardest by the snowstorm.
  • On Monday, more than 5,600 flights into, out of or within the U.S. were canceled.
  • On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security said the suspension of its Global Entry program would remain in place until the partial U.S. government shutdown ends.

The players

Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes

Mexico's most powerful cartel leader, whose killing on Sunday led to retaliatory attacks that disrupted travel.

Pablo Lemus

The governor of Jalisco state in Mexico, who suspended public transportation and urged residents to stay in their homes after the killing of Oseguera Cervantes.

Steve Perkins

An Oklahoma resident who was stranded in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico after his scheduled flight home was canceled due to the security concerns.

Department of Homeland Security

The U.S. government agency that temporarily halted the Global Entry program during the partial government shutdown, leading to longer wait times for some returning passengers at international airports.

Michael McCormick

An associate professor of air traffic management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, who provided expert analysis on the impact of the snowstorm on airline operations.

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What they’re saying

“My wife called our kids to tell them goodbye if we were never gonna see them again, that kind of thing. It was fairly unsettling.”

— Steve Perkins, Oklahoma resident (The Associated Press)

“This storm is so wide-ranging, it's impacted major hubs along the Northeast. And those airports are the most vulnerable airports in terms of getting aircraft and air crews positioned to be able to fly their schedule.”

— Michael McCormick, Associate professor of air traffic management, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (lancasteronline.com)

What’s next

Amtrak said its crews were working to restore service between New York and Boston by Tuesday, but it still expected additional cancellations.

The takeaway

The combination of severe winter weather, security concerns in Mexico, and the partial government shutdown created a perfect storm of travel disruptions, underscoring the need for airlines and passengers to be prepared for unexpected challenges that can quickly cascade through the interconnected aviation system.