# Nationwide ground stop: 143 planes over the lower 48 vs 2,571 last Friday Published November 13, 2026, 7:31 PM ET By Ryan Hall, Y'all Written by our automated news desk from National Weather Service data. Only 143 passenger planes were flying over lower-48 land at 7:25 PM ET Friday, Nov. 13, compared with 2,571 at the same minute last Friday. The FAA has a nationwide ground stop in place for a communications failure, with the next update expected at 11 PM ET. Weather is not the cause: no severe storms are expected tonight, though a Level 1 of 4 (Marginal) excessive rainfall risk covers portions of northern and central California. If you fly this weekend, check your airline before heading to the airport. ## Key points - **Where:** Airports nationwide, under an FAA national ground stop. - **When:** The first advisory went out at 3:53 PM ET Friday. It was re-issued at 5:46 PM ET and is still in effect. The next update is due at 11 PM ET. - **What:** 143 passenger planes over the lower 48 at 7:25 PM ET, against 2,571 a week earlier. - **Why:** The FAA lists a "communications failure." Weather is not involved. - **What it means:** Check your airline before you leave for the airport. ![Last Friday vs. tonight: 2,571 passenger planes over the US then, 143 now (graphic by the Ryan Hall, Y'all newsroom)](https://public.yallsoft.app/rhy/blog/images/2026-11-13-news-newsroom-39672065-0-0026.png) Only 143 passenger planes were flying over the lower 48 at 7:25 PM ET Friday, Nov. 13, down from 2,571 at the same minute last Friday. The FAA has a nationwide ground stop in place because of a communications failure, and the next update is expected at 11 PM ET. This is not a weather problem. No severe storms are expected tonight, but a Level 1 of 4 (Marginal) excessive rainfall risk covers portions of northern and central California. ## Last Friday vs. tonight We counted passenger planes over lower-48 land at the same minute, 7:25 PM ET, one week apart. Last Friday, Nov. 6, there were 2,571. Tonight there are 143. That is a drop of more than 90 percent. The counts come from FlightRadar24 positions for passenger aircraft between 100 and 60,000 feet. ## How this compares to the last one CNN and CBS report this is only the second nationwide ground stop since 9/11. The first was Jan. 11, 2023, after a NOTAM outage. That one was lifted about 8:50 AM ET the same morning, in under 2 hours. Tonight's stop began with the 3:53 PM ET advisory. By 7:25 PM ET, it had run more than 3 hours and was still in place. That makes it the longest nationwide ground stop since 9/11. ## Weather did not cause the stop itself Nothing in the sky explains tonight. The Storm Prediction Center has no severe storms expected today or Saturday, but a Level 1 of 4 (Marginal) excessive rainfall risk covers portions of northern and central California today. A few other spots also have weather hazards: - **Lake Tahoe:** A Winter Storm Warning runs until 10 AM PST Saturday. Snow could reach about 12 inches above 7,000 feet and up to 20 inches along the crest. Ridge gusts could hit 70 to 90 mph. - **Texas, Oklahoma and the Pacific Northwest on Saturday, Nov. 14:** A Level 1 of 4 (Marginal) flash flood risk covers parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Washington, including north-central Texas and the Olympic Peninsula. The Olympic Peninsula could see another 1 to 3 inches of rain. - **Texas coast on Sunday, Nov. 15:** A Level 1 of 5 (Marginal) severe storm risk covers the Texas coastal plain, including the Houston area. It is the only severe risk in the next three days. None of this causes the stop. You can follow [active warnings](/warnings) live. ## What to do - **Check your airline's app or text alerts first.** Don't head to the airport until your flight shows as on time or you have a new rebooking. - **Check Saturday's flight status.** Build in extra time and keep your bags with you. - **Look at the road option for a short trip.** Our [interstate driving outlook](/interstates) shows where weather could cause trouble. Drivers in the Sierra should plan around the Tahoe snow. - **Watch for the 11 PM ET update.** Our [airport delay outlook](/airports) tracks delays tied to weather. [Y'all Alerts](/alerts) can send you the weather side of the story. How sure are we? The numbers are solid. How long the stop lasts is not known. Only the FAA update can answer that. ## Bottom line A communications failure, not weather, has cut passenger planes over the lower 48 from 2,571 last Friday to 143 tonight. Treat Saturday travel as uncertain until the FAA says flights can resume. Explained: [What the flash flood risk levels mean, from Level 1 to Level 4](https://ryanhallyall.com/news/what-the-flash-flood-risk-levels-mean) --- Canonical: https://ryanhallyall.com/news/nationwide-ground-stop-143-planes-over-the-lower-48-vs-2571-last-friday From Ryan Hall, Y'all (https://ryanhallyall.com). Always follow official warnings from the National Weather Service.