Winter storm brings 'once in a generation' cold, snow across the midwest - The Washington Post

At slightest 4,200 flights were canceled up of the busiest question play of the year, and icy roads imperiled drivers. Highway patrol troopers successful Wyoming responded to much than 100 car wrecks in 12 hours. The governors of Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina and New York declared states of emergency.

“I promote everyone, everyone to delight heed the section warnings,” President Biden told reporters. “This is not similar a snowfall time erstwhile you were a kid. This is superior stuff.”

The Arctic acold beforehand slicing done the Lower 48 triggered dizzying somesthesia plunges: Denver, for instance, endured a record-breaking 37-degree driblet successful 1 hour.

Life-threatening upwind chills were expected to scope the East Coast by Friday, according to the National Weather Service, which warned that temperatures could plummet by 50 degrees oregon much successful immoderate areas. Strong winds, rainfall and crystal posed a menace to vacation treks done D.C., Philadelphia, New York and Boston.

Meteorologists besides cautioned that the Great Lakes could spot aggravated snowfall and blizzard conditions done the weekend. Airports successful Chicago and Detroit were expected to rack up the astir delays and cancellations.

Yet galore travelers forged ahead.

Maddie Nieman, a 31-year-old graphic decorator successful Los Angeles, couldn’t basal the thought of missing her family’s Christmas solemnisation for the 2nd twelvemonth successful a row. Last December, a conflict with the coronavirus kept her successful bed. This week, she feverishly scrolled done strategical formation options: Was determination a dodge-the-blizzard window?

Nieman was expected to conscionable her parent and brothers successful Chicago connected Wednesday, but that formation was canceled, truthful she booked different for Friday and 2 much connected Saturday, hoping astatine slightest 1 of those planes volition instrumentality off.

“I’m hedging my bets and keeping the formation credits,” she said.

Across the Midwest, radical rushed to bargain supplies and last-minute Christmas presents earlier the flurries intensified. One meteorologist successful Lansing, Mich., tweeted a photograph of a picked-clean market store aisle.

“Never successful my beingness person I seen EVERY SINGLE LOAF of breadstuff gone from the shelves,” she wrote. “They adjacent took the pumpernickel!”

Liz Barrett, a 60-year-old nutrient and vino publicist successful Chicago, stocked up connected bottles of champagne and Napa Valley reddish blends. Outside her model Thursday evening, the snowfall appeared to beryllium blowing sideways. Though astir of her household lived wrong 15 miles of each other, she disquieted a monster blizzard — the ice, the tricky visibility — could support them apart.

“I can’t adjacent fathom that,” she said. “It would beryllium a acheronian and lonely clip fueled by excessively overmuch wine.”

The upwind successful usually storm-hardy Chicago forced closures of respective fashionable attractions connected Thursday, shutting visitors retired of museums and vacation airy displays. The beloved downtown Christkindlmarket met an aboriginal end. City officials advised residents to enactment indoors.

Michael Lanigan, 31, who works successful equity income successful New York, was expected to alert into the Windy City connected Thursday to walk the vacation with his fiance’s family, but his formation was canceled. He booked different for Friday (also canceled). He booked different for Saturday (fingers crossed) and, arsenic a past resort, reserved a rental car — adjacent arsenic Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) urged New Yorkers to scrap their question plans.

Hurricane Ian had thwarted the couple’s October wedding successful Florida. He didn’t privation different catastrophic tempest to bargain Christmas.

“It’s lone a 12-hour drive,” helium said, laughing. “It’s going to happen. I’m going to walk Christmas successful Chicago.”

Paul Stoick, a 33-year-old biology technologist successful San Diego, had thought helium was successful the wide until helium saw the departures screen.

“Suddenly the full committee went wholly reddish and yellow,” helium said. “Everything was canceled and delayed.”

He’d gotten up astatine 4 a.m. Thursday to statesman the travel to Sioux Falls, S.D. His household lives successful a tiny municipality astir 150 miles north. Fourteen hours later, helium was stuck successful the Denver airport, staring retired astatine the frosty tarmac.

His connecting formation was canceled. The adjacent 1 was delayed.

If Stoick managed to committee that plane, he’d look different obstacles connected the ground. Blizzard concerns spurred authorities to unopen down the road to his hometown. He’d person to find a edifice and anticipation the upwind clears up successful clip for him to present toys to his nieces and nephew connected Christmas.

“I grew up with wintertime conditions,” helium said, speaking from Terminal C of the Denver airport. “We benignant of woody with it arsenic we get it.”

Kim Bellware successful Chicago and Jason Samenow successful D.C., contributed to this report.