Heavy snow continues to affect a large swath of the U.S. from the West to the Northeast, canceling and delaying flights at airports across the country.
Wintry weather is affecting the Rockies and the northern Plains. Overnight, periods of heavy snow over the Plains stretched into the Great Lakes region, including major cities like Chicago.
On Sunday, snow over the Great Lakes gradually shifted to the Northeast, bringing showers from Ohio through to New York. Most areas will get 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. The fast-moving system is forecast to end by early Monday.
Snowfall totals Sunday morning 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 Sunday, scraping it off their cars and shoveling the streets. The fresh powder clung to every surface.
Ashley Reich told NBC News the area was hit 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, who moved to Chicago four years ago, said it was the worst snowfall he has seen since arriving.
“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 7,060 flights traveling into, out of and within the U.S. had been delayed and 591 had been canceled as of Sunday afternoon, according to FlightAware.com. O’Hare accounted for much of the travel disruption, with more than 1,270 delays and 292 cancellations. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has reported over 1,244 delays and 147 cancellations, while North Carolina’s Charlotte Douglas International Airport has almost 630 delays and 42 cancellations.
Departures to O’Hare are delayed by more than two hours because of bad weather, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Rain in the Southeast
The Southeastern region will stay soggy Sunday as a stubborn line of strong storms stretches from the central Gulf into the Carolinas. 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 possible through Sunday night.
A marginal risk of severe weather continues for parts of the Florida Peninsula on Sunday afternoon. Rain will linger through Sunday evening, bringing a chance of isolated flash flooding and frequent lightning. A couple of storms may become severe, capable of damaging wind gusts and a brief tornado.
A few scattered snow showers will develop Sunday evening on the northern edge of the system, targeting parts of the Appalachians in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. Winter Alerts are in effect for the region through Monday evening as a dusting up to 3 inches will be possible.
Snow and floods in the Northwest
A woman was killed Saturday when a tree fell on a car in what the Washington State Patrol said was a weather-related incident.
The car was traveling on State Route 203 when the tree fell onto it and broke apart on impact, causing another car to hit the debris, according to the State Patrol. The 44-year-old woman, who was a passenger, was declared dead on the scene. Another person was airlifted to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to Eastside Fire & Rescue.
Rain and snow showers have developed over the Pacific Northwest, marking the start of an active weather pattern for the region. Numerous systems, fueled by atmospheric rivers, will bring the risk of flash flooding, 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 for coastal Washington and Oregon will arrive Sunday, 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 the Olympics are on track to get 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 expected above 6,000 to 7,000 feet in parts of the Cascades, the Olympics and the northern Rockies.
The 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 as gusts up to 70 mph will be possible Monday night into Tuesday.
