Thanksgiving Travel Chaos as Winter Storm Blankets Midwest
A powerful winter storm system wreaked havoc across the United States during the critical Thanksgiving travel weekend, dumping over a foot of snow in some areas and placing 53 million people under winter weather alerts from South Dakota to New York.
Transportation Nightmare Unfolds
The severe weather conditions led to multiple dangerous incidents across the affected regions. In Indiana, a massive 45-car pile-up occurred on Interstate 78 around 11:30am local time on Saturday, while a Delta Air Lines plane skidded off the runway during landing in Des Moines, Iowa.
Remarkably, no serious injuries were reported from either incident, according to authorities. Indiana State Police Sergeant Matt Ames issued a stark warning to motorists: "Folks, if you can stay home, stay home. People just need to drive smart when the snow starts falling, reduce your speed, make sure you're buckled up, and let's just all be safe out there."
Record-Breaking Snowfall and Travel Disruption
The storm system delivered unprecedented November snowfall to several areas. Des Moines airport recorded 10.9 inches (28cm) of snow through midnight on Sunday, marking the highest two-day snowfall for the city since January 2024.
Chicago's O'Hare International Airport experienced particularly severe disruption, with 8.4 inches of snow recorded on Saturday alone - setting a new record for the snowiest November day in Chicago's history. The airport became the epicentre of air travel chaos, with over 25% of all delays affecting flights to or from the major hub.
Nationwide, the travel picture remained bleak on Sunday with 4,600 flights within, into or out of the United States experiencing delays, while 576 flights were cancelled entirely according to FlightAware.com.
Regional Impacts and Continuing Concerns
Multiple areas of Iowa reported snow accumulations exceeding a foot, while parts of Illinois, including Chicago, recorded at least 5 inches with continuing snowfall. The dangerous conditions led Illinois state police to report nearly 500 auto crashes in the Chicago area on Saturday, with 66 of these incidents involving injuries.
As the storm system moves eastward, parts of the US east coast were expected to experience cold rain from mid-morning to early evening, with potential travel impacts anticipated in several major cities including Cleveland, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Charlotte and Atlanta.
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the Delta Air Lines runway incident in Des Moines, though no injuries were reported from the occurrence.
