San Francisco Airport Tops List for Holiday Weather-Related Flight Delays

If you’re flying somewhere for the holidays this year, you might want to pay extra attention to the weather before heading to the airport.

A new study has identified the U.S. airports most likely to experience weather-related flight delays during the holiday travel season, and the top spot might surprise you.

According to a new study from travel research company Upgraded Points, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) ranks No. 1 among the country’s 60 busiest airports for weather-related delays. The study found that weather accounted for 40.3% of delayed flights at the California airport between November and January.

New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) came in a close second, with weather responsible for 38.9% of delayed flights. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) ranked third at 32.8%, followed by Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), and Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC), which rounded out the top five.

The study analyzed five years of flight data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, covering November 2021 through January 2026. Researchers looked at the percentage of delayed flights attributed to weather at the 60 busiest U.S. airports and nine major airlines.

Across the airports included in the study, weather accounted for an average of 21.9% of delayed flights during the holiday travel months.

“Holiday travel brings more people into an already busy air travel system, and weather can add another layer of uncertainty,” Ryan Smith, Director of News at Upgraded Points, said in a release shared with Parade. “We looked at five years of data to show travelers where weather has historically played a larger role in delays, so they can plan with a little more context.”

Of course, not every airport had the same challenges. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) had the lowest share of weather-related delays, at just 10.2%. Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Kahului Airport in Hawaii and Miami International Airport also ranked among the airports with the lowest shares.

The research also identified December as the month with the highest average share of weather-related delays. During the five-year period, 23.6% of delayed flights in December were attributed to weather, compared with 22.6% in January.

Airline choice could also make a difference. Alaska Airlines had the highest share of weather-related delays among the nine carriers analyzed, at 27.8%, followed by United Airlines at 25.4%. Hawaiian Airlines had the lowest share, at 7.9%, while Southwest Airlines came in at 17.2%.

While the findings offer some insight into where holiday travelers have historically encountered weather-related disruptions, they aren’t a prediction of what will happen this year. Travelers should still check their flight status directly with their airline and monitor the Federal Aviation Administration’s National Airspace System Status dashboard for broader airport updates.

This story was originally published by Parade on Nov 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.