The cancellations followed nearly 2,700 cancelled flights on Thursday and almost 500 flights have already been cancelled for Saturday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.

Passenger railroad Amtrak has cancelled dozens of trains through Christmas, disrupting holiday travel for thousands.

Many highways in the Midwest faced lengthy delays because of snowy weather or crashes and police in Indiana areas urged motorists to avoid nonessential travel in the northwest part of the state.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed ground stops or delays for de-icing at a number of US airports because of winter weather.

Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg told CNN the US aviation system “is operating under enormous strain” and two different storms and high winds are affecting airports around the country. About 10% of US flights were cancelled on Thursday, Buttigieg said.

Another 8,000 US flights were delayed on Friday – including more than 32% of those operated by American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines.

Southwest cancelled 951 flights on Friday, nearly a quarter of all its scheduled flights, while Alaska Airlines cancelled 445, or 57%, of its flights.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport had 303 flights, or 54% of departures cancelled as of 2.30pm. The FAA early on Friday issued a ground stop there due to snow and ice.

More than 40% of departing flights at Detroit Metro were cancelled, 67% at Portland, 36% at New York’s LaGuardia, 27% at Boston and 25% at Chicago O’Hare.

Chicago was facing dangerously cold temperatures with the National Weather Service warning wind chill could hit minus 34 Celsius.