You wife got lousy service across the Board. Sometimes when you hear these stories you wonder if they have a lottery and the unlucky traveler selected that day gets bad service till they limp into their final destination.
Maybe there is a secret society the CO -* as in CO negative star where everything and every excuse possible is used. As for the weather issue, I am sure somewhere on the planet had bad weather thus causing delays at EWR.
When to throw in the towel? Now!