A winter storm is snarling travel across much of the central and northern U.S. as millions return from the Thanksgiving holiday. The system moving through the Plains will push into the Midwest and Great Lakes over the weekend, bringing widespread heavy snow and hazardous travel, the National Weather Service said.
Warnings and advisories stretch from South Dakota into parts of Ohio, with some areas already seeing up to 8 inches of snow since Thursday. Snowfall rates may exceed 1 inch per hour at times, producing storm totals of 6–12 inches in many locations. Gusty winds combined with heavy snow will reduce visibility and leave roads snow-covered and dangerous.
Air travel was hit hard: more than 800 flights to and from Chicago O’Hare were canceled Saturday and over 500 were delayed, according to FlightAware. Nearly 82 million people were expected to travel at least 50 miles over the holiday, with about 6 million flying, AAA estimated.
State troopers reported weather-related crashes: the Missouri State Highway Patrol said it was investigating at least nine crashes in central Missouri Saturday morning. Officials urged people to avoid travel in the worst-affected areas. The Missouri Department of Transportation advised delaying trips while the heaviest snow moves through.
The storm will produce snow and icy conditions through Sunday across the northern and central U.S., while parts of Texas and Louisiana could face heavy rain and isolated flooding. A new system forecast to develop Monday will reach the East Coast by Tuesday, bringing heavy snow to the northern mid-Atlantic and New England (including Pennsylvania and Maine) and heavy rain to the Southeast. NWS meteorologist Andrew Orrison said Monday would be the best day for holiday travelers, with worse and more widespread impacts expected Tuesday, including accumulating snow in northern areas.
Weather disruptions were compounded by mandatory software upgrades for Airbus A320 aircraft. Airbus told airlines Friday to immediately upgrade flight-control software; the Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency directive requiring the upgrade before affected A320s can fly, with a deadline of 12:01 a.m. Sunday. Several carriers, including American and United, began the upgrades and worked to minimize delays.