Icy weather threatens to disrupt US travel before Christmas

NEW YORK - A budding winter storm is expected to bring frigid conditions across much of the United States this week, including snowfall likely to cause travel delays ahead of the Christmas holiday weekend, forecasters said on Monday.

The Midwest and Great Lakes region could see a major blizzard from Thursday, while cold air moving east could bring a flash freeze that causes a rapid temperature drop across the country, according to the National Weather Service.

In parts of Montana and the Dakotas, temperatures have already plunged into minus territory, leaving some residents unable to start their cars.

In Washington state, on a major interstate highway pummelled by snow, cars and trucks have spun out of control, forcing the highway to close. And in Seattle, the ghastly weather has forced the cancellation or delay of hundreds of flights at the city’s major airport, leaving holiday plans upended.

“It does not look like a good day to be travelling across the Midwest on Friday,” said Mr Greg Carbin, chief of forecast operations at the NWS Weather Prediction Centre. “It’ll definitely be feeling like winter almost from coast to coast.”

Airports and roads from Chicago to the St Louis areas could suffer disruptions from Thursday, while the rest of the country battles with falling temperatures, he warned.

The biggest risk exists in the states of Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa, as well as parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Snow amounts could exceed a foot (0.3m), Mr Carbin said.

Southern states could have rainfall and thunderstorms through Thursday, after which temperatures could drop significantly. Wind chill temperatures in the immediate Gulf Coast could reach 30 deg F (minus 1 deg C), he added.

“Wind chill temperatures will be frigid,” he said.

The NWS also warned of “bone-chilling” cold in parts of Washington state through the Northern Plain states, including Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas.

Parts of Montana could see the thermometer register below minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit (-29 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday, according to the NWS.

“The tandem of bitterly cold temperatures and an intensifying storm system over the Rockies and central Plains by midweek will mean treacherous travel for many locations along and east of the Rockies,” the National Weather Service said, adding that anyone in those regions should closely monitor the forecast. In some places, forecasters said, the weather conditions may even prove life-threatening.

The powerful storm is expected to develop and move across parts of the Midwest, central Appalachians, eastern Great Lakes, mid-Atlantic and Northeast this week, bringing a mix of strong winds, rain and snow, including blizzard conditions, that could make travel dangerous leading up to the holiday weekend.

In Rugby, North Dakota, a city of about 2,000 people about 240km north of Bismarck, residents were already struggling to start their cars as temperatures hit minus 22 deg C on Tuesday afternoon. Such blistering cold is well below the average for this time of year, according to forecasters.

“The second you step outside, it’s pretty much a slap in the face,” said Ms Vita Thomas, who runs a bar in Rugby.

She said that while North Dakotans were used to cold temperatures, it was a shock to have to endure it in the lead-up to Christmas.

“It’s like walking into a glass door as hard as you possibly could,” she said of the cold.

Meanwhile, heavy snowfall and low visibility from a strong winter storm blanketing Pacific Canada forced the country’s second-busiest airport in Vancouver to halt all flights on Tuesday morning, with disruptions expected to continue ahead of the Christmas weekend.

Vancouver International Airport said the storm had “an unprecedented impact on flights” and caused mass cancellations.

“Travel continues to be significantly impacted this morning, and we anticipate cancellations and delays to continue through the day and the week ahead,” the airport said in a statement.

A low pressure system from the Pacific Ocean combined with very cold Arctic air over British Columbia dragged temperatures down and brought up to 25cm of snow to parts of the western province overnight, a meteorologist with Environment Canada said.

Crews were clearing the airfield and aircraft of snow and ice to get planes and people moving again, Vancouver airport said.

Data from airline tracking website Flightaware showed nearly 200 flights scheduled to arrive or depart on Tuesday had been cancelled, with another 67 delayed.

The Vancouver region was experiencing a “significant winter storm” that is expected to bring more snow in the morning before the weather clears out by noon, Environment Canada meteorologist Ross MacDonald said.

“We’re still in the thick of it right now,” Mr MacDonald said early on Tuesday morning.

Environment Canada issued extreme cold, snowfall and arctic outflow warnings for most of British Columbia, urging people to dress warmly and watch for hazardous driving conditions over the next couple of days. REUTERS, NYTIMES