Students heading back to Cambridge were stranded at airports across New England yesterday, as thick fog enveloped Logan Airport, nearly forcing it to close.

Air traffic controllers declared a ground hold at Logan at 11:45 a.m., allowing the landing of only the three or so planes per hour with sophisticated instrument systems.

The fog also affected airports in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

Michelle N. Lipkowitz '97 and her twin sister, Jennifer L. Lipkowitz '97, were delayed at New York's LaGuardia Airport, waiting to board the USAir Shuttle.

"It was really annoying that they didn't make any announcements the whole time," Michelle Lipkowitz said. "I had someone waiting to pick me up in Boston, and there was no time to call them."

The shuttle normally leaves once an hour, but according to Lipkowitz, all flights were canceled between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The sisters eventually departed from New York at 7 p.m., having waited more than three hours for a plane.

Among the nearly 300 people waiting in the LaGuardia terminal to board planes to Boston, Lipkowitz said, several were Harvard students.

The Delta Shuttle from New York experienced similar delays, according to Delta sales representatives.

Fog also caused delays of up to an hour at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Conn., where two flights were diverted to land in Syracuse, N.Y.

And at New York's Kennedy International Airport, dozens of cancellations were reported.

Some students were unnerved, but not delayed, by the fog shrouding Logan.

Larry J. Lee '97, who had been delayed two days in Reno, Nev., by the floods plaguing the West, arrived yesterday afternoon in Boston on time, though somewhat anxious.

"Normally, when you land from the West, you circle out over the bay first and then land," Lee said.

But yesterday, because of the fog, "it was impossible to tell--you couldn't even seen the terminal when we landed.

"I know they can land these things pretty much automatically," added Lee, who was seated in an exit row, "but just not being able to see what was happening--I was just thinking that it would be a really bad thing if a plane landed on top of us because it couldn't see us."

Other students seemed concerned last night about the flights of friends and roommates.

Jeremy M. Friedman '98 said he could not be sure whether his roommate, Matt Stovcsik '98, had been delayed by the fog.

"I have no idea if he is late or not," Friedman said. "I think he was supposed to come in tomorrow."

This story was written using Associated Press wire dispatches.