A Thanksgiving weekend storm system brought more than a foot of snow to the US Midwest and strong winds and tornadoes across the South, as 53 million people from South Dakota to New York were under winter weather warnings.
Over the weekend, ahead of one of the busiest travel days of the year on Sunday, a pileup of 45 cars occurred on Interstate 78 in Indiana and a Delta Air Lines plane slid off the runway while landing in Des Moines, Iowa.
No serious injuries were reported in the car crash in Indiana, which was reported around 11:30 a.m. local time Saturday, according to Indiana State Police.
“Guys, if you can stay home, stay home,” said Sergeant Matt Ames. “People just need to drive sensibly when it starts to snow, reduce your speed, make sure you’re buckled up, and let’s all stay safe out there.”
The Des Moines Airport recorded 10.9 inches (28 cm) of snowfall by midnight Sunday, the highest two-day snowfall in Des Moines since January 2024. No injuries were reported from the plane incident, which is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Many areas of Iowa received more than a foot of snow Saturday, with parts of Illinois, including Chicago, recording 5 inches of snowfall and counting.
More than 4,600 flights into or out of the United States were delayed Sunday, according to FlightAware.com, while 576 flights were canceled. More than 25% of the delays were caused by delays to or from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
A total of 8.4 inches of snowfall was recorded at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Saturday, setting a new record for the snowiest November day in Chicago.
Illinois State Police reported nearly 500 auto crashes in the Chicago area Saturday, including 66 incidents that resulted in injuries.
Parts of the US East Coast are expected to experience freezing rain from the morning to early evening hours, which is likely to impact travel in several cities, including Cleveland; Buffalo, New York; Philadelphia; Washington DC; Charlotte, North Carolina; And Atlanta.
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