Heavy snow continues to impact a large swath of the U.S. from the West to the Northeast, causing flight cancellations and delays at airports across the country.
Wintry weather is affecting the Rockies and northern Plains. Overnight, periods of heavy snow over the Plains stretched into the Great Lakes region, including major cities like Chicago.
On Sunday morning, snow is expected to persist over the Great Lakes and will extend into the interior Northeast by the afternoon and evening. Most areas will see 2 to 5 inches, with up to 6 to 8 inches possible in parts of Iowa. In the Northeast, a dusting of up to 3 inches is anticipated. This fast-moving system is forecast to end by early Monday morning.
As of 11 a.m., snowfall totals include 9.4 inches in Canton, South Dakota; 8 inches in Ames, Iowa; 5.7 inches in Rockford, Illinois, and 4 inches in the area around Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
Chicago residents in the Lincoln Park neighborhood were out removing snow on Sunday, scraping if off their cars and shoveling the streets. The fresh powder clung to every surface.
Ashley Reich told NBC News the area was just impacted by a snowstorm right after Thanksgiving.
“It’s fun to have a little bit more of a Winter Wonderland before Christmas,” Reich said.
Isaac Norwich moved to Chicago four years ago and said this is the worst snowfall he has seen since being there.
“It definitely seems like this has been the worst winter,” Norwich said. “Like this is what people have prepared me for when they said like, ‘Oh, Chicago winters are a lot of snow.'”
More than 4,100 flights traveling into, out of and within the U.S. have been delayed and 323 have been canceled as of Sunday morning, according to FlightAware.com. O’Hare accounts for much of the travel disruption, with more than 760 delays and 174 cancellations. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has reported over 870 delays and 64 cancellations, while North Carolina’s Charlotte Douglas International Airport has almost 360 delays and 32 cancellations.
Departures from Hartsfield-Jackson are delayed by about 30 minutes while departures to O’Hare are delayed by almost two hours due to inclement weather, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Fog in the Southeast and Northeast
Various fog alerts are in effect for parts of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, including Texas and Alabama through Maryland on Sunday morning.
Reduced visibility, as well as some icy conditions in the Mid-Atlantic region, have been reported so far Sunday. Alerts are set to expire within the next hour as conditions gradually clear.
Rain in the Southeast
The Southeastern region will stay soggy on Sunday as a stubborn weather system remains stuck over the region. Parts of Florida and Georgia have recorded more than an inch of rain so far this weekend, with an additional half-inch to 2 inches is possible through Sunday night. The severe weather risk is low over the Florida Peninsula, but a couple of storms could still bring damaging winds or even an isolated tornado.
Farther north, the same system may shift to a wintry mix late Sunday through Monday across the Mid-Atlantic region. Winter alerts are in effect for parts of West Virginia, Virginia and the North Carolina mountains through Monday as 1 to 3 inches of snow may accumulate.
Snow and floods in the Northwest
A series of atmospheric rivers are set to impact the Pacific Northwest this week, bringing the risk of flash flooding, heavy mountain snow, and strong wind gusts. Eight million people are under Flood Alerts throughout western Washington and Oregon through Friday, including in Seattle, Tacoma, Portland and Eugene.
The first wave of rain will arrive Sunday for coastal Washington and Oregon, but the real concern for heavy rain and flash flooding will start Monday morning. Waves of rain will persist through Monday, with an additional surge of moisture arriving Tuesday night through Wednesday. Rainfall totals through Wednesday night will range from 2 to 5 inches, while parts of the lower elevations of the Cascades and Olympics are on track to receive 6 to 10 inches of rain, with up to 12 inches possible in some areas.
Snow levels will be higher in the mountains, with feet of snow anticipated above 6,000 to 7,000 feet in parts of the Cascades, Olympics and northern Rockies.
This pattern will also bring strong wind gusts to the region. Along Washington and Oregon, gusts will range from 30 to 50 mph. Meanwhile in Montana, High Wind Alerts are in effect due to this system as gusts up to 70 mph will be possible Monday night into Tuesday.
