A winter storm is causing travel disruptions across a broad swath of the country as millions return from the Thanksgiving holiday. The system moving through the central and northern Plains is expected to spread into the Midwest and Great Lakes over the weekend, bringing widespread heavy snow and hazardous travel conditions, the National Weather Service said.
Warnings and advisories stretch from South Dakota into parts of Ohio. Since Thursday, some areas have already seen as much as 8 inches of snow. Meteorologists warned snowfall rates could exceed 1 inch per hour, especially Saturday, producing storm totals of 6–12 inches in many locations. Gusty winds combined with heavy snow will reduce visibility and leave roadways snow-covered and dangerous.
Chicago O’Hare reported more than 800 canceled flights and over 500 delays on Saturday, according to FlightAware. AAA had estimated nearly 82 million people would travel at least 50 miles for the holiday, with about 6 million flying, increasing the number of travelers affected.
Snow- and ice-related crashes have been reported; the Missouri State Highway Patrol said it was investigating at least nine crashes in central Missouri and urged people to avoid travel in the worst-impacted areas. The Missouri Department of Transportation advised delaying travel while the heaviest snow passes.
The northern and central U.S. will see snow and icy conditions through Sunday, while parts of Texas and Louisiana face heavy rain and potential isolated flooding. A new storm system forecast to develop Monday will move east, reaching the East Coast Tuesday and bringing heavy snow to the northern mid-Atlantic and New England and heavy rain to the Southeast. NWS meteorologist Andrew Orrison said Monday will be the best travel day, with conditions worsening Tuesday as precipitation becomes more widespread and accumulations possible farther north.
Weather-related disruptions are coinciding with mandatory software upgrades to Airbus A320 aircraft. Airbus directed airlines to upgrade A320 software immediately over concerns about flight controls, and the Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency directive requiring the upgrade before affected planes could fly again, with a deadline of 12:01 a.m. Sunday. Airlines including American and United said they had begun upgrades and were working to minimize delays.