More than 3,500 U.S. flights delayed Sunday

A severe weather system across several parts of the United States prompted the three major airports servicing New York City to urge passengers to arrive early for flights on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

As of Sunday afternoon, 3,507 flights into, out of or within the United States had been delayed, according to FlightAware, and 86 U.S. flights have been canceled, the website noted.

A rather large storm system shifting from the Mississippi River Valley on Sunday morning into the Northeast brought with it widespread rain and gusty winds. The heavy showers and high winds impacted millions of travelers from the Midwest to the Northeast and down to the Southeast.

New York’s LaGuardia Airport urged passengers to pre-book parking spaces, which operators said were filling up.

“We can’t stress this enough — plan ahead and arrive early if you’re traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period,” the airport tweeted.

John F. Kennedy Airport also advised passengers who were traveling Sunday to plan ahead and arrive early. JFK tweeted from its verified account to “budget extra travel time to arrive at JFK Airport, park in your reserved spot, check in, and get through security.”