A powerful winter storm hitting parts of the United States and Canada is affecting Costa Rica’s flight schedule, triggering cancellations, suspended itineraries, and lengthy delays at our two main international airports.
The system has brought heavy snow and ice to wide sections of North America, along with extreme cold in some areas. When major hub airports slow down or temporarily halt operations, the impact quickly reaches routes to Costa Rica because many flights depend on tight aircraft rotations, crew schedules, and connecting traffic through those hubs.
At the San Jose airport, passengers are already seeing the fallout. Several arrivals from storm-affected cities have been canceled or pushed back by hours. Flights from Dallas have been among those affected, and travelers connecting through U.S. hubs have reported missed onward flights as delays stack up earlier in their trips.
The Liberia Airport is also feeling pressure, especially given how heavily its peak-season traffic depends on the United States and Canada. The airport has been managing a shifting lineup of schedule changes as airlines adjust to conditions at departure points. Some outbound flights from Guanacaste to North America have been suspended, including certain services operated by Canadian carriers, while inbound flights have faced significant delays.
Beyond outright cancellations, airlines are warning that same-day changes remain possible. Even when a flight is still listed as operating, it can be held back by de-icing queues, late-arriving aircraft, crew duty-time limits, or congestion caused by earlier cancellations. That can turn a routine afternoon arrival into a late-night landing or, in some cases, a last-minute cancellation.
Travelers are also seeing knock-on effects on long-haul routes that are not directly touched by snow. When aircraft are out of position because they were diverted, delayed, or unable to depart a North American hub, the disruption can cascade into international schedules. That can include delays on flights arriving from Europe if the aircraft or crew schedule has been affected earlier in the network.
The weather pattern behind this storm is consistent with a southward shift of is called the polar vortex, which can drive Arctic air into lower latitudes and set the stage for snow and ice when moisture moves through. For aviation, the problem is not only what happens during the worst conditions, but the slow recovery afterward: airports need time to clear runways, airlines must reposition aircraft, and crews have to be reassigned. That recovery can take longer than passengers expect, even after the weather starts to improve.
Airlines and airport authorities are advising passengers traveling to or from Costa Rica to monitor flight status closely and to be ready for changes. Travelers with connections through storm-affected cities should pay particular attention to the first leg of their itinerary, since one cancellation or delay can unravel the entire trip.
For those flying in the next 24 to 48 hours, the practical advice is straightforward: check your flight status before leaving for the airport, keep notifications turned on in your airline app, and consider arriving earlier than usual if you are departing from a busy hub. If you are connecting, look at alternate routing options in advance, since rebooking lines can grow quickly during large weather events.
The broader message is familiar but worth repeating. Costa Rica can have clear skies and still see heavy disruption if the airports feeding its main routes are dealing with snow, ice, and extreme cold. In a tightly connected flight network, severe winter weather thousands of kilometers away can quickly become a local travel problem in San José and Guanacaste.
