With just days remaining until Yud Shevat, Lubavitcher chassidim across the country, attempting to travel to New York, are facing unprecedented flight disruptions as a massive winter storm triggered the highest number of cancellations since the coronavirus pandemic.

The winter storm, which swept across two-thirds of the United States over the weekend, has forced airlines to cancel flights at levels not seen in over four years. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, as of Sunday afternoon, airlines canceled 8,906 of 23,735 scheduled departures – roughly 38% of all flights nationwide. The firm confirmed this marked the worst single day for cancellations since the early days of the pandemic in 2020.

By Sunday evening, FlightAware reported that airlines had scrapped more than 11,000 flights across the United States, with cancellations continuing into Monday.

International flights arriving in the U.S. were similarly hit, with about one-third of scheduled overseas arrivals canceled on Sunday.

Major airports serving the New York area – including LaGuardia, JFK, and Newark – saw over 80% of flights canceled. Philadelphia experienced 94% cancellations, while Washington’s Reagan National topped 90%.

Airlines have issued travel waivers allowing passengers to rebook without fees, though with the system still reeling from the storm’s impact, securing new flights remains a challenge.

For those with travel plans or scheduled flights to New York for Yud Shevat, the winter storm that just hit may cause serious issues, with flights being canceled, rerouted, or leaving travelers uncertain as they wait to see if their flight will make it in time.