There are already flight delays and cancellations being reported at Newark Liberty International Airport as a potentially devastating winter storm spreads across parts of the country.

Many of those affected flights were concentrated in places like Michigan and Washington, which are already seeing significant storm impact.

In the tri-state area, the storm is expected to be at its worst on Friday – right when many New Jersey residents are preparing to fly for the Christmas holiday.

Traffic is already backed up outside the terminals as people rush to beat the weather on Wednesday.

Some airlines are offering weather-related waivers on change fees. Information about such offers can typically be found on an airline's website or app.

But one travel agent tells News 12 New Jersey that if an airline isn't waiving fees, travelers may want to hold off a little longer before changing their itinerary.

"If you cancel on your own, you always run into more problems, and it's harder to get back into the swing, rather than the airline canceling and they are accommodating and they will help you out with your cancellations," says Derin Lisi, of Rope Drop Travel.

She says that travelers who booked through a travel agent should call immediately to find out what can be done. It may be too late for flights this week, but travelers should consider travel insurance in the future.