Storms trigger travel headaches
More than 30 states battle wind and snow
An unrelenting winter storm marching east from the Plains and Midwest on Sunday was one of a series of weather calamities facing weary Thanksgiving weekend travelers across the nation making their way home.
In the Northeast, a powerful nor’easter was colliding with cold air to trigger the first heavy snow of the year from New Jersey to Boston. AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alan Reppert said Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey were already seeing some of the day’s worst weather Sunday – ice, snow and wind.
Some areas could get an inch of snow an hour starting Sunday afternoon and lasting into Monday. Total snow accumulations of up to 16 inches and a tenth of an inch of ice can be expected in some areas around Boston, the National Weather Service said.
“The @CityofBoston &@BostonPWD are well prepared for the storm that’s coming #Boston’s way,” Mayor Marty Walsh tweeted.
In Buffalo, a Delta Connection flight from New York slid off a taxiway following an “uneventful landing” Sunday morning, Delta Air Lines confirmed to USA TODAY. None of the 64 passengers were injured, the airline said.
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Padfield said parts of the state could see snow through Tuesday morning. A foot of snow was forecast for parts of northeast Pennsylvania.
“With a storm like this, a difference of just a few degrees can quickly change weather and road conditions,” he warned.
The storm system, dubbed Winter Storm Ezekiel by The Weather Channel, was causing havoc in more than 30 states Sunday. In the Midwest, more than 700 flights were delayed or canceled Sunday at airports in Chicago, Denver and Minneapolis alone. The number exceeded 2,000 on Saturday.
“Heavy snow will continue to plaster the upper Mississippi Valley and northern Great Lakes region into Sunday night,” AccuWeather warned.
In some areas, fog was a major culprit Sunday.
“Allow extra time and use heightened caution,” the National Weather Service in Chicago tweeted.
“If encountering dense fog slow down, use low beam headlights, and keep adequate following distance from the vehicle in front of you.”
Strong, gusty winds will extend over much of the Plains and spread east of the Mississippi River on Sunday afternoon and night, AccuWeather said.
Some areas could get up to 2 feet of snow, and isolated areas near the Great Lakes could see 3 feet.
The city of Lead, South Dakota, was hit with 30 inches of snow and reported snow drifts in excess of 5 feet.
Areas around Duluth, Minnesota, had 20 inches as of 6 a.m. Sunday. In Midland, Mich., the city reported numerous trees and power lines down because of ice – just four days after a power outage forced closure of City Hall.
The West was not exempt. A front driving heavy rains and high winds that rolled onto the California coast centered below San Francisco was expected to pound parts of the state with heavy rains and high winds for several days, and heavy snow was expected in the mountains.
More than 1,000 flights were delayed or canceled into and out of San Francisco on Saturday and Sunday.