More than 1,000 flights cancelled in U.S. as major winter storm looms

Horrible winter weather that brought snow, dangerous winds and bitter cold swept across the northern United States on Wednesday, closing roads and businesses and causing flight cancellations.

Airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights in the US on Wednesday as a powerful winter storm swept through the western and central states.

A total of 1,035 flights in, in or out of the US were canceled as of 9:15 a.m. ET, according to flight tracking website FlightAware, which showed 932 flights were delayed.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a tweet on Tuesday that severe weather could cause flight delays or cancellations this week in Minnesota and other states in the Great Lakes and southern plains.

The departure board for Toronto’s Pearson airport shows Wednesday’s cancellation for an Air Canada Jazz flight to Minneapolis.

Many classes in the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin were canceled Wednesday, ahead of the storm. Offices are closed, and so is the Minnesota legislature. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem closed the state’s executive branch offices in some parts of the state, and employees are working remotely.

In Wyoming, nearly every road was affected, and many were closed. Officials warned that it could stay that way for several days.

“Please change your travel plans if you are coming to Wyoming, wait to go west from Cheyenne or Laramie on I-80, or wait to go east on I-80 from Rock Springs,” the Wyoming Department of Transportation posted on Facebook. “A major winter storm and multi-day closures are likely on Interstates and secondary roads throughout Wyoming!”

Michelle Wilson said business was slow at Denny’s where she worked in Fargo, ND, where the morning temperature was -24 C. Wilson was not surprised – people know better than to venture out when the weather becomes this dangerous.

“When the wind picks up and you’re in a flat land like North Dakota, it’s an immediate whiteout situation,” Wilson said.

The snow could be historic, even in areas that normally get heavy snow, with the heaviest forecast for east-central Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin, the National Weather Service said. Minneapolis-St. Paul area could see 61 centimeters or more of snow for the first time in more than 30 years.

Icy conditions may cause accidents in some locations

At C&S Supply, an employee-owned hardware store in Mankato, Minn., manager Corey Kapaun said demand for salt and grit is high, but not for shovels, snow blowers or other equipment. He declared that winter was two-thirds over.

“I think people are either ready or not,” Kapaun said. “Usually the first snowfall of the year gets a lot of attention. With a storm like this, I would have expected a little more, but we’ve had a big snowfall.”

Forecasters at AccuWeather said a similar storm system could cause icing in a 2,092-kilometer band from near Omaha, Nebraska, to New Hampshire on Wednesday and Thursday, creating a travel hazard in or near cities such as Milwaukee, Detroit, Chicago and Boston.

Forecasters expect up to half an inch of snow in some areas of southern Michigan, northern Illinois and some eastern states.

As the northern US faces a winter blast, record warmth is expected in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast – 30 degrees to 40 degrees above normal in some places. Record highs are expected from Baltimore to New Orleans and across much of Florida, National Weather Service Meteorologist Frank Pereira said.

Washington, DC, could reach 80 F (27 C) on Thursday, which would break the record high of 78 F (25 C) set in 1874.