A viral clip from Rochester in the United States has turned a routine winter departure into a dramatic spectacle, as a Delta Air Lines Boeing 717 powered up for takeoff and hurled a towering plume of snow across the airfield. Filmed in extreme cold and near whiteout conditions at Rochester International Airport in the USA, the scene captures both the raw force of jet engines and the unforgiving weather that has gripped Western New York.
The moment, shared widely on social media, shows the 717 accelerating down a snow-covered runway while its exhaust blasts loose powder into a swirling wall that briefly obscures the aircraft from view. It is a striking illustration of how commercial aviation keeps moving even when winter storms turn airports into snow-globe landscapes.
The viral “snow blast” and the power of a 717 departure
The centerpiece of the footage is a Delta Air Lines Boeing 717 that surges forward and appears to detonate the snowpack sitting on the runway shoulders, sending it skyward in a dense, wind-driven curtain. As the twin rear-mounted engines spool up, the exhaust flow interacts with the loose powder and creates a rolling wave that races outward from the jet’s path, a visual reminder of the thrust required to lift a fully loaded aircraft in frigid air. The clip, recorded in Rochester in the USA and shared by local spotter @joey_frascati, shows the jet accelerating for departure while surrounded by extreme cold and snowy conditions that had already coated the field in fresh accumulation.
In the video, the 717 is barely visible at points as the snow cloud wraps around the fuselage, then gradually emerges as it gains speed and climbs away from Rochester International Airport, USA. The scene, captured on On January 15, 2026 in Rochester, USA, has been circulated widely as viewers marvel at the combination of routine airline operations and almost cinematic visuals created by the storm. Multiple clips highlight the same Delta Air Lines Boeing 717 sequence, each underscoring how the aircraft’s thrust transformed a quiet, snow-blanketed runway into a churning white spray that briefly engulfed the surrounding area, a moment documented in detail from the Rochester International Airport, USA vantage point through Rochester footage.
A blizzard-battered airfield that never stopped moving
What makes the snow blast so compelling is the broader context: Rochester, New York, United States was in the grip of a heavy snowstorm that blanketed runways, taxiways, and terminal ramps in deep, wind-driven drifts. On January 15, 2026 in Rochester, New York, United States, the same spotter shared additional video showing real-time airfield activity as snow swept across the airport and visibility dropped, yet aircraft continued to taxi, line up, and depart. The 717 departure is just one frame in a larger sequence of operations that reveal how crews and controllers kept traffic flowing northbound despite the conditions that turned the airport into a near whiteout.
Another clip from Rochester, United States on that day shows commercial aircraft taking off through blinding snow, their navigation lights glowing faintly as they disappear into the low cloud deck moments after rotation. The Video, recorded by Joseph Frascati, captures jets rolling down a runway that looks more like a snow-covered road than a precision-engineered strip of pavement, yet departures continue in a steady rhythm. These scenes of planes pushing through blizzard-like weather at the Rochester airport, with engines carving tunnels through the snowfall, frame the Delta Air Lines Boeing 717 moment as part of a determined effort to maintain operations amid a severe winter event, as seen in the blinding snow sequences.
De-icing races the clock as winter tightens its grip
Behind every dramatic takeoff in such conditions is a quieter, methodical process that starts long before the aircraft lines up on the runway. In Rochester, United States, Video recorded by Joseph Frascati shows de-icing crews racing against the winter cold as a jet prepares for departure, their trucks circling the aircraft and spraying heated fluid across wings and tail surfaces. The footage, taken on January 15 and focused on operations in Western New York, illustrates how teams work in tight windows to remove ice and prevent fresh accumulation that could compromise lift or control, a critical step before any 717 or 737 can safely accelerate into a snowstorm.
Another clip from On January 15, 2026 in Rochester, New York, United States shows the heavy snowstorm blanketing Rochester International Airport in New York, USA while aircraft continue to move, underscoring how de-icing and plowing must operate almost continuously to keep taxiways and runways usable. I see the Delta Air Lines Boeing 717 snow blast as the visible tip of this iceberg of preparation, the final, spectacular moment that follows hours of work by ground crews who clear surfaces, treat aircraft, and coordinate with air traffic control so that departures can proceed even as snow keeps falling. The scale of that effort is evident in the de-icing operations and the parallel storm coverage that show jets still heading north despite the weather.
When winter bites back: American Airlines 3057 veers off taxiway
The same storm system that produced the spectacular Delta snow plume also highlighted the risks that come with operating in such conditions. On January 15, 2026, an American Airlines Boeing 737-800 with about 90 people onboard partially left the taxiway at Rochester’s airport while preparing for departure, according to an account shared on social media. The incident, involving a 737 and 800 series jet carrying 90 people, unfolded as crews navigated snow and ice that had already complicated ground movements across the field, a reminder that even with plowing and de-icing, traction and visibility can deteriorate quickly when temperatures stay low and snow continues to fall, as described in the taxiway report.
Further details from American Airlines indicate that American Airlines flight 3057 experienced an issue during takeoff in Rochester, N.Y. on Thursday, Jan. 15, with the aircraft veering off the paved surface amid snow and freezing temperatures. Reporting by Latoya Gayle, identified in coverage as Latoya Ga, notes that the event occurred against the backdrop of the same winter blast that produced the viral 717 departure, underscoring how quickly conditions can swing from visually stunning to operationally hazardous. I read the Delta Air Lines Boeing 717 snow blast as a dramatic but controlled display of engine power, while the American Airlines episode is a sobering counterpoint that shows how winter weather can still catch crews and equipment at the margins, a contrast captured in the flight 3057 account.
Why the Rochester clip resonates far beyond one airport
Part of the reason the Rochester snow blast has traveled so widely is that it compresses a complex winter operation into a few seconds of unforgettable imagery. On January 15, 2026 in Rochester, USA, the Delta Air Lines Boeing 717 that accelerates through the storm becomes a stand-in for every flight that passengers hope will depart on time despite the weather, its engines carving a path through snow that looks almost solid. The clip shared by @joey_frascati, and echoed across multiple platforms, shows the 717 framed by swirling powder and low clouds, a visual shorthand for the resilience of air travel in harsh climates, as seen in the original clip and the parallel Rochester International coverage.
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