The monster winter storm covering most of the country was further snarling air and highway traffic Friday and prompting warnings about late Christmas deliveries. The storm appeared to be responsible for at least seven deaths, six from auto accidents, officials said.
What You Need To Know
- The monster winter storm covering most of the country was further snarling air and highway traffic Friday and prompting warnings about late Christmas deliveries
- More than 5,000 U.S. flights had been canceled and more than 8,000 others delayed, according to the flight tacking website FlightAware
- Many officials, meanwhile, were urging residents to stay off the roads; at least six people were killed in crashes that appeared to be related to the storm
- FedEx and UPS, meanwhile, warned that the weather could prevent some shipments from arriving before Christmas
Just before 3 p.m. Eastern on Friday, nearly 4,600 U.S. flights had been canceled and more than 8,000 others delayed, according to the flight tacking website FlightAware. That follows nearly 2,700 U.S. flight cancellations Thursday.
Arctic air and dangerous wind chill values were in the forecast into the Christmas weekend for two-thirds of the eastern United States, the National Weather Service said. Snow, blizzard conditions and coastal flooding were expected in communities near the Great Lakes.
More than 200 million Americans — roughly 60% of the population — are under some type of winter weather warning or advisory. The governors of at least 13 states have implemented emergency measures to respond to the storm, with some activating National Guard units.
Seattle-Tacoma International, New York’s LaGuardia, Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway, and Detroit Metro airports accounted for the most flight cancellations Friday. The Pacific Northwest is being impacted by a separate storm.
More than 350 flights have already been canceled for Saturday, Christmas Eve.
“Our National Aviation System is operating, but it’s operating under enormous strain, and what you have is multiple issues across the different areas of the airspace,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CNN on Friday morning.
Buttigieg explained that the Pacific Northwest is facing snow, the East Coast is experiencing strong winds and the middle of the country is battling extreme cold.
“That limits the ability of ground crews to operate,” he said. “They make it look easy. You see that they’ve got a lot of winter weather gear, but there is still only so long that these workers can be on the ground servicing those aircraft before it’s a safety issue and they need to get back inside.”
Many officials, meanwhile, were urging residents to stay off the roads. At least three people in Kansas, two in Oklahoma and one in Kentucky were killed in crashes that appeared to be related to the storm, officials said.
“Please stay home, stay safe, stay off the roads, stay alive,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a news conference Friday.
Beshear said a homeless person in Kentucky also died from the arctic blast.
Highways even in areas of the country accustomed to tough winter weather were shutting down, including I-29 in South Dakota, I-90 in South Dakota and Minnesota, and I-94 in part of North Dakota.
Greyhound and Amtrak reported widespread cancellations and disruptions in the Midwest and Northeast.
FedEx and UPS, meanwhile, warned that the weather could prevent some shipments from arriving before Christmas.
“FedEx Express experienced substantial disruptions at our Memphis and Indianapolis hubs last night due to severe winter weather that has been moving across the United States,” FedEx said in a statement Friday. “The safety of our team members remains our number one priority.”
“Significant weather events across several regions of the U.S. are impacting the UPS Air and Ground network, including UPS hubs in Louisville, Kentucky and Rockford, Illinois,” UPS said. “As a result, some delivery and pickup services in these areas will be affected.”
