Flight Delays And Airport Impacts: December 12, 2025

Published on Dec 12, 2025, 10:29 am CST

6 min read

Key points

FAA says gusty winds could delay flights at Boston Logan, Denver, New York area airports, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. hubs
Snow is a potential slowdown at Indianapolis and Minneapolis Saint Paul
Low clouds and visibility issues are flagged for Austin, Houston area airports, San Francisco, and Seattle
FAA posted a ground delay program for Seattle Tacoma arrivals, with average delays around 46 minutes in the program window
Construction and runway or taxiway work at several airports can amplify weather delays, especially during peak banks

Impact

Where Delays Are Most Likely: Expect the most disruption on Northeast corridor hubs, Denver, and Seattle Tacoma, where wind and low ceilings can quickly trigger flow control
Best Times To Fly: Earlier departures typically have more recovery options, while late afternoon and evening flights are more likely to inherit accumulated delays
Connections And Misconnect Risk: Plan longer connections through New York area airports, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Denver, and avoid separate tickets when possible
What Travelers Should Do Now: Check your flight status before leaving for the airport, consider same day changes early, and build extra ground time for deicing, long taxi outs, and gate holds
Onward Travel And Changes: If you have onward rail, cruise, or tour departures, add buffer time, or shift to a later departure window to reduce knock on risk

US flight delays December 12 are being driven by a mix of wind, snow, and low ceilings that can ripple across the Northeast, the Midwest, the Mountain West, and the Pacific Northwest. Travelers connecting through Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Denver International Airport (DEN), and the New York, New York, area airports, Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and LaGuardia Airport (LGA), should expect higher odds of gate holds, longer taxi times, and missed connections as arrival rates get throttled. If your itinerary depends on a same day connection, add buffer time, and make rebooking decisions early while inventory still exists.

The FAA daily air traffic report for December 12, 2025 specifically flags gusty winds for Boston, Denver, the New York area airports, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), and the Washington, D.C., area airports, Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). It also calls out snow as a potential slowdown at Indianapolis International Airport (IND) and Minneapolis Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), plus low clouds at Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

By 9:08 a.m. CT, FlightAware was tracking 1,384 delays and 66 cancellations affecting flights within, into, or out of the United States, which is consistent with a day where multiple metro areas have weather constraints that reduce arrival rates. Early snapshots at specific hubs showed delays building at places the FAA already flagged, including Boston Logan, Newark, Denver, San Francisco, and Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), even before the day's peak banks.

US Flight Delays December 12 Drivers

Wind at busy arrival banks. Strong, gusty winds do not just make approaches bumpy, they often reduce how many aircraft can land per hour, especially when air traffic control needs larger spacing for safety. The FAA command center planning notes list wind as a terminal constraint in the Boston area, the New York TRACON (the airspace that sequences arrivals into the New York metro airports), Philadelphia, the Washington, D.C., area, and Denver, which is a broad footprint for one day.

Snow and winter ops in the Midwest. Even light snow can slow departures and arrivals because it adds deicing steps, increases runway occupancy time, and can reduce braking action, depending on conditions. The FAA planning view highlights snow impacts for Indianapolis, Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF), and Minneapolis Saint Paul, which can spill into nearby connecting flows.

Low ceilings and low visibility in Texas, California, and the Northwest. Low clouds, and especially low visibility, can push airports onto more restrictive instrument arrival procedures, which lowers throughput. The FAA planning notes call out low ceilings at Houston, Austin, San Antonio International Airport (SAT), Seattle Tacoma, and San Diego International Airport (SAN), with low visibility specifically flagged for San Francisco.

What Changed Midday: Seattle Tacoma Ground Delay Program

The most concrete operational move posted by the FAA command center on December 12 was a ground delay program for Seattle Tacoma arrivals. The advisory shows the program covering arrivals estimated between 1700Z and 1959Z, which is 1100 a.m. to 159 p.m. CT, or 900 a.m. to 1159 a.m. PT, with an average delay listed around 46 minutes and a maximum delay of 92 minutes, tied to weather and low ceilings. For travelers, that usually means more departure gate holds at origin airports for flights bound to Seattle, plus a higher chance your inbound aircraft arrives late and turns your later flight into a misconnect.

How It Works: Why FAA Programs Matter To Travelers

Background. When weather, staffing, or runway capacity reduces how many arrivals an airport can safely accept, the FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center may use tools like a ground delay program or a ground stop. A ground delay program meters departures headed to a constrained airport so the arrival flow stays manageable, which often shifts waiting time to the origin airport where passengers have better access to services. A ground stop is a stronger measure that pauses departures to a destination for a period, usually when conditions are expected to be temporarily unsafe or capacity drops sharply. Either way, airline schedules tend to "bunch up" later, so missed connections become more likely as the day progresses.

Where Construction Can Amplify Delays

Weather is doing most of the work on December 12, but several ongoing runway and taxiway projects can make recovery harder if a hub gets behind. The FAA planning notes list east taxiway construction at Chicago O'Hare through December 12, runway closures at Tampa International Airport (TPA) through December 14, taxiway pavement repairs at San Francisco through December 20, and ongoing runway and taxiway rehabilitation at LaGuardia and Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) through December 31, plus a runway closure at Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) into January 2026. On normal days, these are manageable, but on weather days they reduce flexibility, which can extend taxi times, increase gate holds, and slow down recovery.

Practical Planning For Flyers On December 12

If you are traveling through the Northeast corridor hubs, Denver, Seattle, or the Houston and Austin region, treat December 12 as a day where even small delays can compound. Check your inbound aircraft before you leave for the airport, because many "on time" departures become delayed when the inbound gets stuck in a ground delay program. If you have a tight connection, look for same day change options earlier in the day, since later departures are more likely to inherit accumulated delays. For those building itineraries that mix flights with cruises, long distance rail, or timed events, add buffer time or shift the connection city away from the most weather constrained hubs.

For context and continuity, see Adept Traveler's prior day round up of U.S. delays at US Flight Delays December 11, 2025, and for practical traveler tactics, review Tips For Dealing With Flight Delays Or Cancellations. If you are tracking how constraints can cascade into the schedule and network level impacts, the recent analysis at US Shutdown Flight Cuts End is also relevant.