Nov. 27 (UPI) — Severe winter weather has forced cancellations for hundreds of U.S. flights over the last two days, and thousands more were delayed — due mainly to a snowstorm in the Rocky Mountains.
Heavy snow is moving through the Rockies and the Midwest after blanketing Denver with more than 10 inches of snow, forecasters said. As many as 18 inches are expected in some locations.
Denver International Airport canceled 263 of flights on Tuesday and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport reported more than 100 Wednesday, according to FlightAware.
The tracking website said more than 1,100 flights had been delayed by late Wednesday morning in the United States, after nearly 5,000 a day earlier. Overall, 662 flights were scrapped on Tuesday.
This Thanksgiving holiday travel period is expected to be one of the busiest in U.S. history — with Dec. 3 forecast to be the single busiest air travel day ever.
A “bomb cyclone” in the western United States is responsible for harsh weather conditions that have influenced air travel, including heavy snow, rain and powerful wind gusts. Forecasters said the storm “could be historic in its strength and scope.” It produced a record low sea level pressure when it came ashore in northern California and southern Oregon Tuesday.
The National Weather Service said a strong low-tracking storm will make its way across the Great Lakes Wednesday before slamming the New England region by nightfall.
“Given the tight pressure gradient with this low-pressure system, very windy conditions are likely across much of the Midwest and Ohio Valley region where winds could gust in excess of 50 mph at times,” the NWS advisory said, warning residents to expect significant travel disruptions.
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