A 45-car pile up involving commercial and passenger vehicles on Interstate 78 in Indiana and a Delta flight skidding off the runway in Iowa are just two incidents being blamed on a powerful winter storm taking aim at the heart of the country, impacting one of the biggest travel days of the year.
Around 25 million people remain under winter weather alerts Sunday morning amid the Thanksgiving weekend storm system that has brought over a foot of snow and strong winds to parts of the Midwest, and thunderstorms across the South. Snowfall totals as of 11 a.m. include 15 inches in Fort Dodge, Iowa, 13 inches in Lancaster, Wisconsin and a foot of snow in Pana, Illinois.
The National Weather Service warned that a quick burst of snowfall will impact the Chicago area Sunday morning, reducing visibility on the roads and making travel dangerous.
In Indiana no serious injuries were reported following the 45-car pile up of commercial and passenger vehicles on Sunday, according to Indiana State Police.
Sergeant Matt Ames encouraged residents to stay home if they could and drive safely if they need to be on the roads.
“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,” Ames said, adding that a shutdown of the interstate to allow for clean up will last around six hours.
In Iowa, Delta Air Lines flight 5087 slid off the end of a runway while turning onto a taxiway due to icy conditions at Des Moines International Airport on Saturday night, according to the airline and the Federal Aviation Administration. The passengers were deplaned and taken to a terminal. The FAA is investigating the incident.
“Safety comes before all else and we apologize to our customers for the experience,” Delta said in a statement, adding that no injuries were reported.
Rain and snow are expected to shift into the eastern third of the country Sunday morning before moving offshore in the evening, with snow showers favoring the interior Northeast, northern New England and the Appalachian Mountains. Various winter alerts are in effect for these areas due to 2 to 8 inches of snowfall.
Snow showers in the interior Northeast will persist before gradually fading overnight.
Parts of the East Coast are still expected to see a cold rain from mid-morning through the early evening hours. Numerous cities may see travel impacts, including Cleveland; Buffalo, New York; Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Atlanta.
As of Sunday afternoon, over 4,200 flights traveling into, within and from the U.S. have been delayed, while 572 have been canceled, according to FlightAware.com. Chicago O’Hare International Airport accounts for much of the travel issues, with over 250 cancellations and 771 delays. At John F. Kennedy International Airport, 70 flights have been canceled and 171 have been delayed.
At O’Hare, crowds are building as travelers attempt to play catch-up after over 1,000 cancellations on Saturday. The road into the airport was jammed with cars and the TSA precheck line appeared endless on Sunday.
Video from the airport’s tarmac shared on social media showed the runways covered in snow on Saturday.
Sisters Rima and Jasmin Eid had their flight from Chicago to Miami delayed three times on Saturday. The sisters were trying to surprise their mother with a cruise they booked for her birthday.
“We’re trying to get everything planned out, but unfortunately, we’re very delayed, and they will not help us because we’re basic economy,” Rima said. “They said we will not accommodate any changes.”
The sisters said they were stuck at the airport, hoping their flight will go ahead as planned.
“It’s very frustrating and very upsetting,“ Jasmin said.
Christine Rapp
Valerie Castro
Meriam Bouarrouj and Jay Blackman contributed.