Millions of Americans travelling for the Thanksgiving holiday have faced severe disruption as a powerful coast-to-coast winter storm wreaks havoc on airports and road networks.
Major Airport Disruptions and FAA Delays
The travel chaos was particularly acute at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, where the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) instituted a ground delay on Wednesday morning. This was due to snow and ice accumulating on runways. The delay was scheduled to remain in effect until 10pm ET, causing average wait times for departing flights to exceed one hour.
According to flight tracking service Flight Aware, the disruptions were widespread. More than 1,700 flights entering and exiting the United States were delayed. At Chicago O'Hare alone, over 180 flights were affected. The problems extended beyond Chicago, with George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston also experiencing departure delays of around 30 minutes due to strong winds. The FAA warned that these wait times were likely to increase as the day progressed.
Widespread Winter Blasts and Plunging Temperatures
Meanwhile, the storm system is predicted to bring heavy snow and blizzard-like conditions to several states. The Dakotas, Wisconsin, and Michigan are all in the path of the storm, with forecasts suggesting more than a foot of snow could fall in some areas.
The frigid conditions are a result of the polar vortex pushing freezing air down from Canada. After barrelling into the Northeast on Tuesday, the storm's remnants have sent temperatures plummeting by 15 to 20 degrees across half the nation. States from Maine to North Carolina on the East Coast, and across the Midwest to Nebraska and Kansas, should expect these bitterly cold temperatures to persist into the Thanksgiving holiday itself.
This is a breaking news story, and further details are expected to follow.
