Travel alert: Expect delays at Miami airport through weekend from winter storm

Travelers at Miami International Airport should expect delays and cancellations Friday through the weekend as a winter storm is forecast to paralyze much of the country.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a major winter storm “that will bring heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain to hundreds of millions of Americans.”

The storm, starting Friday and lasting until at least Monday, is expected to hit more than half of the U.S., including the Southern Rockies, Northeast and southern mid-Atlantic. Over the weekend, the storm is expected to reach the Carolinas and northern Georgia.

While Florida will be spared, airports across the state, including Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, will likely feel the effects with delays in arriving and departing flights.

“Winter Storm Fern is expected to delay or cancel flights this weekend between regions across the U.S. and Miami International Airport,” Greg Chin, communications director of Miami-Dade Aviation Department, said in an emailed statement.

As of noon Friday, nine arrivals and eight departures have been delayed to and from cities affected by the winter storm, Chin said, and three departures to Dallas and one to Memphis have been canceled.

MIA had a total of 70 delays and 11 cancellations as of 4 p.m., and FLL had 86 delays and 2 cancellations, according to the FlightAware tracker.

Chin urged passengers to check their flight status directly with their airlines before coming to MIA, allow extra time if traveling this weekend and follow airline guidance for rebooking and baggage.

Major airlines have put out travel advisories. Chin noted that MIA is actively supporting the airlines and federal partners to assist travelers who may be affected.

How to track your flight at MIA and FLL

Miami: One of the MIA flight trackers shows a list of all expected arrivals and departures with options to use a drop-down menu to narrow results. It displays the carrier, flight number and where the plane is going to or coming from. It also gives real-time updates on the flight’s arrival or departure status, which concourse the terminal is in and the location of baggage claim. The other online tool lets you track by flight or route. If you know the carrier, the date and the flight number, this tool might be easier to use because it will only show information for your flight

Fort Lauderdale: FLL’s flight tracker works by flight or route. You’ll need to know the date, along with the airline carrier and flight number or the departure and arrival airport. The tool also gives people the option to see a list of all expected arrivals and departures and details on the flight’s terminal and baggage claim, too. You can also check your flight status with the airline directly, which might be easier to do through the airline’s app. But you can also check via the airline’s website.

This story was originally published January 22, 2026 at 9:11 PM.