Afierce wintry storm is delaying flights and dumping snow across roadsin several Midwestern states on Nov. 29, while heavy rain and thunderstorms spread in the South, forecasters said.
The "major" winter storm is stretching heavy snow over the central and northern Plains and will reach across the Midwest and Great Lakes region on Nov. 29, the National Weather Service said. Snowfall fates could exceed an inch per hour throughout the day on Nov. 29, with totals between 6 and 12 inches expected.
Winter storm warnings were in effect for nearly 32 million people in parts of South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. More than 20 million others were under winter weather advisories.
"The combination of heavy snow rates along with gusty winds will create dangerous travel conditions due to limited visibility and snow-covered roadways," the weather service said.
The snowstorm will span a 1,200-mile stretch, according to AccuWeather.
The weathercould impact some of the millions of Americans heading home after Thanksgiving. AAA predicted a record-breaking 81.8 million people were travel more than 50 miles over the holiday.
Thanksgiving travel in full swing as Americans head home
Snowstorm to impact airports, roadways
By midday on Nov. 29, there were 587 delays and 856 cancellations at Chicago's O'Hare airport, according to the tracker FlightAware.com. O'Hare saw the greatest impact to flights so far Nov. 29.
The weather service in Chicago said snow was accumulating in roads with rates of one-quarter to one-half inch per hour. Peak snowfall rates are yet to come, escalating between noon and 8 p.m. local time. Photos of major roads shared by the weather service showed snow building up earlier in the morning.
"Spoiler alert: It snowed. There is snow. Snow is on the ground," the Illinois Department of Transportationsaidin a post on social media. "Please avoid unnecessary travel if possible, and to give our crews plenty of room to make the roadways safer for you."
Flights at airports in Detroit, Minneapolis, St. Louis and Kansas City are also expected to be impacted by delays, AccuWeather said.
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Heavy rain, thunderstorms in the South
Meanwhile, showers and thunderstorms packing damaging winds and a possibility of tornadoes are expected in parts of Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana on Nov. 29, forecasters said.
The storms are coming from moist Gulf return flow moving ahead of an east-flowing cold front, the weather service said.
Moderate to heavy rainfall is also expected along the western Gulf Coast, bringing a risk of isolated flash flooding.
On Nov. 30, the weather service said a low pressure system will lift northeastward from the Great Lakes into southeastern Canada, spreading a wintry mix up through the Northeast and New England, while rain showers are expected in the Mid-Atlantic into the Tennessee Valley.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Midwest sees major winter storm with heavy snow, travel delays
