A massive storm has already brought snow, wind, and severe temperature drops to the Midwest and Great Plains as it makes its way across the country (Picture: AP/Getty)
A massive winter storm is threatening holiday travel across the United States, bringing snow, ice, and wind to most of the country.
Blizzard conditions are expected across the Midwest as a ‘bomb cyclone’ forms over the Great Lakes on Thursday and Friday.
The bomb cyclone has the potential to drop snowfall at .5 inches per hour, and could produce winds of up to 50 miles per hour. The storm is expected to drop over a foot of snow in some areas, and snow squalls are expected across Illinois and Indiana.
The storm is also expected to move south, where large portions of Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma have been put under warnings for severe wind chill and ice storms.
Snow blows over an icy road during a winter storm warning in North Liberty, Iowa (Picture: AP)
Traffic and snow maintenance vehicles share the roadway as a traffic sign cautions drivers about the conditions along State Highway 14/18 in Madison, Wisconsin (Picture: AP)
On the East Coast, nearly two inches of rain followed by a severe temperature drop could lead to flash freezes, which will threaten motorists and pedestrians.
‘This is really a very serious weather alert,’ President Joe Biden said at a briefing on Thursday. ‘It’s not like a snow day when you were a kid. This is serious stuff.’
Parts of the Great Plains and Midwest have already seen serious temperature drops. In Wyoming, temperatures dropped from 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 3 degrees over the course of thirty minutes on Wednesday morning.
On Thursday morning, the NWS in reported a low temperature of -48.6 degrees Fahrenheit in the town of Potomac, Montana.
A worker shovels snow from the sidewalk in front of a business in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin (Picture: AP)
A man clears a path to vehicles parked in a lot in Denver (Picture: AP)
Meanwhile, holiday travelers are scrambling to get home before winter conditions make travel near impossible.
‘Please, take this storm extremely seriously,’ President Biden warned, adding that he has already dismissed his staff that needs to travel. ‘If you have travel plans, leave now. That’s not a joke.’
An American Airlines plane is de-iced as high winds whip around 7.5 inches of new snow at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (Picture: AP)
Travelers arrive for flights at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois. Over 5,000 flights were cancelled on Thursday across the county (Picture: Getty Images North America)
Over 5,000 flights have been cancelled on Wednesday across the US, according to flight tracker FlightAware. Another 19,000 flights have been delayed.
Amtrak has suspended train service on at least 20 routes, primarily going in and out of Midwestern cities including Chicago, Detroit, and Milwaukee. Service has been suspended through December 25.
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Blizzard conditions are expected across the Midwest as a ‘bomb cyclone’ forms over the Great Lakes on Thursday and Friday.
