A massive number of flights have been cancelled ahead of this week’s expected blizzard in the Northeast

A plane being de-iced.Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

A huge winter storm is expected to slam the US Northeast this week, bringing a foot or more of snow to Washington, DC, New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and other cities.

According to USA Today, “[a]irlines have preemptively canceled more than 725 flights for Monday and another 815 for Tuesday as a late-season snowstorm threatened to make a mess of air travel this week.”

“Unfortunately for fliers, those tallies were likely to soar,” the newspaper reported, adding that “Southwest said it expected to ground nearly all of its flights in the Northeast on Tuesday.”

Airlines are also making contingency plans. Emirates airliners inbound for the New York area will taking on extra fuel in case they need to divert to destinations as far south as Orlando and, according to the carrier, because airports in Boston and Washington, DC may not be available.

The Northeast has experienced a relatively mild winter, with warm temperatures and just a few big snowstorms. But the season is now set to end with some challenging weather for travelers.

If you’re planning to travel by air to the Northeast this week, check with your airline for updates.