Ripple effect. Delta aircraft were probably out of position due to the huge storm. The aircraft you were probably to have boarded was still stuck at an airport in the Southeast somewhere. Same applied to LOTS of flights.
Most flights follow a route, say for example New York-Washington DC-Atlanta, and back to New York. That's just an example, I don't know your flight's route. So if the actual aircraft you were to fly on was stuck in Atlanta, the other two legs of the route fall. Airlines don't have the money to keep spare planes at airports. Sometimes that happens, but it's a lucky exception.
Chances are thousands of Delta passengers were clamoring for rebooking across the country.
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