Severe weather forecast for East Coast limits air travel

Sacramento International Airport was relatively quiet Friday afternoon, with arrival and departure boards showing no flights east of Denver.

Severe storms forecast for the East Coast this weekend prompted cancellation of more than 6,000 flights Friday and Saturday, the Associated Press reported, citing flight tracking service FlightAware. Airlines hope to be fully back in business by Sunday afternoon.

Southwest Airlines reported that it had canceled approximately 500 flights of approximately 3,600 scheduled Friday due to weather, and approximately 600 of about 2,900 scheduled on Saturday. About 100 of approximately 3,100 scheduled fights for Sunday were canceled.

Most arriving passengers interviewed Friday at Sacramento International Airport were coming from West Coast cities such as Los Angeles and Seattle. Those departing weren’t venturing much further than Phoenix or Denver.

In Washington, D.C., the federal government closed offices at noon, and all mass transit was shutting down through Sunday, the Associated Press reported. Three feet of snow is forecast for Washington and Baltimore, and nearly as much for Philadelphia. New York is expected to receive a foot or more.

This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 6:15 PM with the headline "Severe weather forecast for East Coast limits air travel."