Nearly 5,000 flights have been delayed or canceled on the busiest travel day of the year as the US braces for a one-time storm that will hit nearly every state and guarantee a white Christmas in the Midwest.
Snow started falling in the Midwest as early as Wednesday evening and will only intensify Thursday and Friday, with temperatures dropping to 40 degrees in Wyoming in just half an hour.
For those hoping to catch a flight home for the holidays, another nightmare may be facing just like the summer travel season, with many canceled flights already, especially in the Midwest.
Of nearly 3,000 delays as of around noon on Thursday, Chicago called O’Hare ranked number one with the most delays at 128. Denver International was second with 88 and Chicago Midway was third with nine.
All three also rang at the top of the cancellation board with Chicago O’Hare postponing 268 flights, Denver with 248 and Chicago Midway with 132.
Nearly 5,000 flights have been delayed or canceled on the busiest travel day of the year as the US braces for a one-off storm (Photo: Travelers from Chicago)
Of nearly 3,000 delays Thursday around noon, Chicago called O’Hare (pictured) ranked number one with the most delays at 128. Denver International came in second with 88 and Chicago Midway came in third with nine
All three also rang at the top of the cancellation board with Chicago O’Hare (pictured) postponing 268 flights, Denver with 248 and Chicago Midway with 132
The busiest day of travel could trigger summer flashbacks with delays and cancellations as travelers in the Midwest are expected to weather a snow pocalypse, with some areas reaching as high as 24 inches (Photo: Travelers at a Minnesota airport)
A traveler from Minnesota got festive as he toured the airport with his kids while wearing a Santa hat
Many travelers waited in line at Terminal 1 at the MSP Airport in Minnesota prior to their vacation trips
Northeastern Illinois — where Chicago is located — is under a winter storm warning from noon today to 6 a.m. Saturday with the area expected to receive 7 to 15 inches of snow, but could reach up to 2 inches per hour.
With wind gusts of up to 50 mph and chills of 25 to 35 degrees below zero tonight through Friday evening, Chicago and the surrounding areas can expect whiteout conditions and roads will turn icy overnight.
A few states away, in Wyoming, has already started experiencing full whiteout conditions and extreme straight-line winds.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol posted videos showing conditions in Cheyenne and encouraged residents to “please stay home.”
The trooper’s car can be seen rattling as the snow races over the hood of his car in a tornado-like effect. The only thing visible in the commotion are the car’s headlights.
Current view from a Troopers car in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Current conditions outside of Cheyenne are -18 with zero visibility,” the Wyoming Highway Patrol wrote in a Facebook post.
Winter Storm Elliot is expected to dump heavy snow across the Midwest and Plains Thursday and Friday, with some areas reaching 24 inches
This could end up being the coldest Christmas weekend in decades as many US states fall into the 15 degree range while the Great Plains get as cold as -30F
Wind chill will also be an issue in the Great Plains, reaching as low as -50 degrees
A highway in Minnesota is already covered in snow and damaged by accidents Wednesday evening
The Capitol in Iowa is barely visible as heavy snow falls Wednesday evening
Another video shows a rescue vehicle with lights burning as snow is flung across the roads. The sidewalk is barely visible.
“No, the Trooper didn’t make a wrong turn and end up in Antarctica,” it joked.
It also revealed that troopers had responded to more than 780 calls for service, including nearly 200 motorists requiring assistance and more than 100 accidents.
Winter Storm Elliot has intensified to be classified as a “bomb cyclone,” which can produce blizzard-like conditions in the Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes region. The east and south can also expect a possible flash freeze due to high winds, the Weather channel.
Blizzard warnings have been issued for parts of the Northern Plains, Upper Midwest and the Great Lakes – with Buffalo, Des Moines and Grand Rapids most likely to experience these conditions.
Winter storm warnings and weather alerts are in effect for the Northern Plains in the mid-South, where Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nashville, and Memphis are in the affected areas.
Cheyenne, Wyoming (pictured) saw near-whiteout conditions last night as high winds and snow reduced visibility
Denver has also received some snow and visibility is starting to decrease
A Minnesota ranch was covered in snow Thursday after a night of snowfall
The Weather Channel advises residents in those areas to travel at all costs, as it can be “difficult or impossible.”
The East Coast is expected to start raining starting Thursday, which could turn into freezing rain or sleet throughout the Northeast, according to the Of Channel in northern New England and Upstate New York.
Rain is expected along the Interstate 95 corridor throughout Thursday.
On Friday, the storm will peak in the Great Lakes from Northern Wisconsin to Western New York.
The northeast can expect a bitter cold after the rain passes through and turns to ice. Georgia and the Carolinas are expected to have high winds all Friday.
There could be up to 18 inches of snow in Erie, Pennsylvania by late Friday, while Buffalo can expect 12 inches. Cleveland is expected to get up to two inches of snow, while Boston and D.C. will get one to two inches of rain.
By Saturday, the storm will move into America’s northern neighbor, but strong winds are still expected to persist.