Southwest Flightmare

Last weekend's severe cold snap continued to disrupt life across the nation Tuesday, with thousands of flights canceled and the military police needed to enforce a driving ban in snow-covered Buffalo, New York. Officials say the severity of the blizzard that rocked upstate New York stemmed from its unusually long duration. Separately, the Department of Transportation initiated an investigation into Southwest Airlines after the carrier canceled two-thirds of its flights Monday and Tuesday, a number the federal agency described as disproportionate. For comparison, American, Delta, and United canceled under 2% of their flights yesterday (see flight data). Southwest announced it had begun limiting new bookings on flights as many of its baggage terminals filled up with unclaimed luggage. While much of the east is set to thaw under warmer temperatures later this week, the west is preparing for heavy rains as Pacific storms drop up to 4 inches in some areas.