Thousands of flights have been cancelled in North America after winter storms swept the United States and Canada.

Some 7,741 flights were delayed and 3,483 were cancelled in the United States on Sunday, with hundreds more under threat today.

On Sunday morning a plane slipped off a runway and skidded into the snow at John F. Kennedy International Airport causing the airport to close temporarily.

Delta Air Flight 4100 from Toronto was carrying about 35 people when it arrived at Terminal 2 gate C66 around 08:00.

No injuries were reported and the airport has since reopened.

In Chicago half of the flights in and out of O’Hare International Airport were delayed yesterday.

Some 1,997 cancellations are reported in the US today including 45 per cent of flights at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, 52 per cent of flights at Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport in Ohio and 12 per cent of flights at Le Guardia airport in New York.

There are also 172 flight delays reported in the US today.

A further 350 flights in the US have already been cancelled for Tuesday.

Numerous flight delays and cancellations were reported in the major airports of Atlantic Canada.

On Saturday there were reports of a power outage at St. John’s airport disrupting services around Newfoundland and Labrador.