By Shivansh Tiwary Jan 26 (Reuters) - A powerful winter storm sweeping across much of the United States forced airlines to cancel thousands of flights and delay hundreds on Monday, as freezing rain and heavy snowfall disrupted travel and snarled transportation networks.

A massive winter storm made for a brutal travel day Sunday, with widespread cancellations and delays at some of the nation's busiest airports.

As of around 2 p.m. on Monday, 82 flights had been cancelled, and 152 were delayed, amounting to around 47% of all flights.