3,000 flights are cancelled or delayed as ‘snowpocalypse’ hits the US with temperature dropping 40 degrees in half an hour in Wyoming – as once-in-a-generation storm is set to batter almost every state
- Out of the nearly 3,000 delays as of Thursday around noon, Chicago O’Hare rang in number one with the most delays at 109. Denver International came in second with 76 and Chicago Midway came in third with 10
- All three also rang in at the top of the cancelation board with Chicago O’Hare postponing 267 flights, Denver with 246, and Chicago Midway with 132
- The busiest travel day could bring summertime flashback with delays and cancelations as travelers across the Midwest are expected to endure a snowpocalypse, with some areas getting up to 24 inches
- The Chicago area is under a winter storm warning from noon today until 6am on Saturday with the expectation the area will get three to six inches of snow
- Other states, like Denver and Wyoming, have already begun to get snow with the latter experiencing near white-out conditions in Cheyenne and high straight-line winds
- The Midwest and Plains are expected to get plenty of snow, while the East Coast will be battered with rain
More than 3,000 flights have been delayed or canceled on the busiest travel day of the year as the US braces for a once-in-a-generation storm that is set to impact nearly every state and guarantee a white Christmas in the Midwest.
Snow has already begun to fall across the Midwest on Wednesday evening and will only intensify throughout Thursday and Friday.
For those hoping to catch flights home for the holiday could be facing another nightmare, much like the summertime travel season, with plenty of flights already canceling, especially in the Midwest.
Out of the nearly 3,000 delays as of Thursday around noon, Chicago O’Hare rang in number one with the most delays at 109. Denver International came in second with 76 and Chicago Midway came in third with 10.
All three also rang in at the top of the cancelation board with Chicago O’Hare postponing 267 flights, Denver with 246, and Chicago Midway with 132.
More than 3,000 flights have been delayed or canceled on the busiest travel day of the year as the US braces for a once-in-a-generation storm (pictured: Chicago travelers)
Out of the nearly 2,000 delays as of Thursday morning, Chicago O’Hare (pictured) rang in number one with the most delays at 51. Denver International came in second with 47 and Chicago Midway came in third with eight
All three also rang in at the top of the cancelation board with Chicago O’Hare (pictured) postponing 251 flights, Denver with 191, and Chicago Midway with 131
Northeastern Illinois – where Chicago is located – is under a winter storm warning from noon today until 6am on Saturday with the expectation the area will get three to six inches of snow, but could reach up to one inch per hour.
With wind gusts up to 50mph and wind chills as low as 25 to 35 below zero tonight through Friday night, Chicago and the surrounding areas can expect whiteout conditions and roads will become icy overnight.
A few states over, in Wyoming, have already begun experiencing complete white-out conditions and extreme straight-line winds.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol posted videos showing the conditions in Cheyenne, as it encouraged residents to ‘please stay home.’
The trooper’s car can be seen rattling as snow is whipping across the hood of his car in a tornado-like effect. The only thing visible in the commotion is 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 plenty of snow across the Midwest and Plains throughout Thursday and Friday, with some areas getting up to 24 inches
In another video, an emergency vehicle can be seen with its lights on as snow is whipped across the roadways. The pavement is barely visible.
‘Nope, 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 who needed assistance and more than 100 crashes.
Winter Storm Elliot has intensified to be classified as a ‘bomb cyclone,’ which can bring blizzard-like conditions through the Plains, Midwest, and Great Lakes area. The East and South can also expect a possible flash freeze due to high winds, according to 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 having the highest chances of experiencing these conditions.
Winter storm warnings and weather advisories are in effect for the Northern Plains to the mid-South, which Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nashville, and Memphis being located in concerning areas.
Current view from a Troopers car in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Current conditions outside of Cheyenne are -18 with zero visibility. Please stay home if you don’t have to travel.
Denver also already gotten some snow and visibility has begun to lessen
Near white-out conditions were seen last night in Cheyenne, Wyoming (pictured) as high winds and snow decreased visibility
The Weather Channel advises residents in those areas avoid travel at all cost as it could be ‘difficult or impossible.’
Rain is expected to hit the East Coast starting on Thursday, which could turn into freezing rain or sleet throughout the Northeast, expect the northern part of New England and Upstate New York, according to the Whether Channel.
Rain is expected along the Interstate 95 corridor throughout Thursday.
On Friday, the storm will reach its peak in the Great Lakes from Norther 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 throughout Friday.
By the end of the Friday, Erie, Pennsylvania could get up to 18 inches of snow, while Buffalo can expect 12 inches. Cleveland is expected to get up to five inches of snow, while Boston and DC are getting one to inches of rain.
By Saturday, the storm will move on the America’s northern neighbor, but strong winds are still expected to last.
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