A winter storm is freezing up travel plans for millions from the Plains to the Great Lakes, dropping temperatures by as much as 50 degrees in some areas from just a day before.
The National Weather Service calls the system a “bomb cyclone,” one that strengthens rapidly as barometric pressure drops, has created a wall of wind and snow across the northern tier of the country. From Minnesota and Iowa to New York and Maine, the storm dumped some of the heaviest snow in nearly three years on New York City.
What fell as a winter wonderland for some quickly became a travel nightmare for others. Nationwide, nearly 750 flights were canceled Monday, with thousands more delayed.
“I was supposed to go to Tampa at 2:20, and now we’re not leaving until 4:30,” said traveler Devon Shore, stranded at an airport.
For thousands, the journey home became an ordeal measured in days, not hours.
“It has been a journey … had delays in Chicago, stayed overnight. Yeah, pretty stressful,” said Delaney Zuve, another traveler.
On the roads, drivers faced near whiteout conditions. In Iowa, state troopers reported dozens of crashes, with at least one being deadly.
The situation was just as dangerous further east, with several major pileups snarling roadways in Michigan.
And in one especially unusual severe weather event, winter tornadoes touched down in Illinois, snapping trees and damaging cars in the city of Pontiac.
The storm’s impact knocked out power to nearly 220,000 customers Monday night, with over a third of those outages in Michigan.
Forecasters warn the toughest weather may not be over, as the coldest air is still settling in. Life-threatening wind chills are possible overnight.
“There’s nothing you can do about it, just go with the ride. It’s mother nature and God – you can’t fight it,” said traveler Leo Mendez.
