‘Snowpocalypse’ strands air passengers in Costa Rica

Tourists who thought they were heading home after their vacation to Costa Rica this morning found out that they were getting at least one more day in paradise. United Airlines canceled three flights out of San José Tuesday because of a travel ban implemented in the Big Apple in anticipation of Winter Storm Juno, reported Juan Santamaría International Airport.

Flights 1554, 1080 and 1081 originating in Newark International Airport were canceled as the region braced for a forecasted two feet of snow, leaving their return passengers in Costa Rica left holding their bags at the airport. Some of the cancelations Tuesday were related to two flights United grounded on Monday.

Despite some claims that the storm would be one of the worst in history, the city got between four and six inches in most places. LaGuardia International Airport reported 11.5 inches.

New York was largely spared the worst of the storm but the same could not be said for the rest of the Northeast and Long Island. The National Weather Service warned that life-threatening conditions persisted along the coast from Long Island into Connecticut and Massachusetts, where more than two feet of snow blanketed some areas.

San José, Costa Rica, meanwhile was mostly sunny at 73 F.

AFP contributed to this report.