Winter Storm Impacting Travel Nationwide Heading Into Christmas Weekend
A dangerous winter storm moving across the country has disrupted holiday travel from the skies to the stations as cancelations and delays surge into Christmas weekend.
As of Friday morning, many airlines, the Amtrak train service and bus services were reporting changes and cancelations across the country because of severe weather conditions. At least four deaths from vehicle crashes have been connected to Winter Storm Elliot as well, as road conditions have worsened nationwide.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, the highest additional snowfall totals along the path of this winter storm will likely be found near the Great Lakes. More than a foot of snow could pile up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, western Lower Michigan, far northern Indiana and western and northern New York due to bands of heavy lake-effect snow through the weekend.
Extreme cold temperatures are posing a threat to travelers as well, with arctic air dropping wind chills as low as negative 50 to negative 70 degrees in the northern Plains, and 30 below zero in the Midwest, according to FOX Weather. For context, it’s currently a balmy -7.1 degrees in the Jezero Crater on Mars, where a NASA rover is monitoring the weather.
The Kansas Highway Patrol responded to three fatal crashes Wednesday that police have said were potentially weather related, according to KAKE News. Two more deadly crashes were reported by Oklahoma Highway Patrol officials Thursday after the winter storm hit. And there was one fatal crash in Oregon on Tuesday attributed to icy roads.
On Friday alone, more than 717 flights in, out of and across the U.S. have been delayed and over 2,981 have been canceled, according to a 5:20 a.m. ET report from flight-tracking website FlightAware.
Airports leading the way in cancelations were as follows: LaGuardia in New York (181), Detroit Metro in Michigan (157), and Seattle-Tacoma in Washington (155).
Travelers wait in line to check-in for their flights at Terminal 1 ahead of the Christmas Holiday at MSP Airport in Bloomington, Minn., on Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.
(Kerem Yücel /Minnesota Public Radio via AP)
Amtrak, the nation’s largest passenger train service, announced Thursday afternoon more than 20 routes, mostly in the Midwest, were canceled through Sunday morning because of the winter weather. Some lines in the Midwest and Northeast are delayed for the same reason.
The company posted the following statement on its website along with the route cancelations and changes:
“Severe winter weather has caused Amtrak to make several service changes and cancelations from now through Sun., Dec. 25. These actions are taken in an abundance of caution and in consultation with state transportation departments, host railroads, emergency managers and weather forecasters.”
Amtrak said affected customers can call 1-800-USA-RAIL to change their reservation. The company added additional charges will be waived for reservations changed during the modified schedule period.
Travelers move through Amtrak’s 30th Street Station in Philadelphia on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022.
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
WINTER STORM CANCELS, DELAYS THOUSANDS OF FLIGHTS, DISRUPTING HOLIDAY TRAVEL
Bus services are also being affected by the weather. Greyhound issued an alert Thursday stating customers traveling to and from the Midwest over the next two days may experience delays or cancelations.
Cities impacted include: Charleston (W.V.), Chicago, Dallas, Danville (Ill.), Davenport (Iowa), Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Minneapolis, St. Louis, and Wichita (Kansas)y.
Riders needing to reschedule can call 1-833-233-8507.
Jefferson Lines, a regional intercity bus company operating in 14 states, also announced over two dozen cancelations in the Midwest on Friday.
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Affected travelers are advised to call 1-858-800-8898.
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