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News & features, winter center, news / winter weather, pre-christmas storm threatens major travel delays across us.

By Alex Sosnowski , AccuWeather senior meteorologist

Published Dec 16, 2022 8:58 AM PDT | Updated Dec 20, 2022 9:23 AM PDT

AccuWeather forecasters warn that a major winter storm will bring snow and blizzard conditions to the U.S. in the days leading up to Christmas.

Confidence continued to grow among AccuWeather 's expert team of meteorologists on Monday that a significant storm would evolve later this week, threatening to bring a wide swath of snow, rain and fierce winds from the Plains to the Atlantic Seaboard.

The intensifying storm will coincide with a surge of frigid air that will send temperatures to bone-chilling levels through the holiday weekend and could be one of the most intense and prolonged periods of Arctic air in decades during Christmastime. The plummeting temperatures with the storm could also lead to concerns of a rapid freeze-up.

The storm’s timing could not be worse given the increased number of travelers leading up to Christmas as well as the pressure retailers and shipping companies face to keep shelves stocked and items on track for delivery.

Snow during at least part of the storm is likely to extend from parts of the southern Plains to the Midwest, Northeast and perhaps even the interior Southeast states during the period from Thursday, Dec. 22 to Saturday, Dec. 24. The first stage of the storm can cause snow to break out as early as Wednesday across the interior West, with Denver expected to pick up several inches of accumulation Wednesday night.

AccuWeather's team of long-range meteorologists, led by Senior Meteorologist Paul Pastelok, not only looks at computer models but also examines existing global weather patterns, known as teleconnections. The team has been keeping a close eye on the potential for this storm and the geographical area at risk since the start of December.

"At this time, there is every indication to believe that a major storm will unfold and track from somewhere over the South Central states to the Northeast," Pastelok said.

The track is key to which areas end up with the heaviest snow, but confidence is also growing that even a small or moderate amount of snow when combined with plunging temperatures and strong winds will lead to a quick freeze-up and slippery travel from parts of the south-central Plains to the Midwest and Northeast states.

This means that cities such as St. Louis and Nashville , and perhaps as far south as Dallas and Atlanta could be looking at some snow, as well as the more traditional wintry trouble spots farther north such as Chicago , Detroit and Pittsburgh .

"This is the type of setup that can lead to ground blizzards in parts of the Central states," AccuWeather Senior Long-Range Meteorologist Joe Lundberg said when he considered the potential storm's intensity, the arrival of Arctic air and the wide open terrain in the region.

"This storm will likely become intense, feeding on the extremely sharp variation between the surging arctic air arriving from the Central states and relatively warm air across the southeastern U.S.," AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jon Porter said. "Major East Coast storms over the decades have occurred in this type of setup, bringing the risk for heavy snow and rain, gusty winds, coastal flooding, severe thunderstorms and even tornadoes on the southern side of the storm."

AccuWeather's Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno has summarized the major impacts of the coming storm and cold this week.

One such key component will be the complex structure of the storm. For example, one storm center may track toward the Great Lakes and a second storm center may form over the Appalachians or right along the Atlantic coast late this week. This could allow for hazardous winter weather to develop over an especially large area, making impacts around the Christmas holiday even worse.

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The secondary storm formation could be a determining factor in the primary form of precipitation expected in the major metro areas of  Washington, D.C. ,  Baltimore ,  Philadelphia ,  New York City  and  Boston . At this time, at least some snow or a wintry mix are still on the table for these locations for part of the storm.

"The exact track of the storm will dictate which areas receive heavy snow versus heavy rain and the most significant impacts, but people and businesses in the eastern U.S., especially those traveling, should be extra alert and frequently check AccuWeather forecasts this week to stay updated on expected impacts," Porter added.

Even locations on the warmer east side of the storm may not be entirely out of the woods when it comes to wintry weather. With Arctic, frigid air quickly spilling in, temperatures may drop sharply as the storm is ongoing, potentially changing any rain over to snow. Just when and where this occurs depends on the storm's exact intensity.

For those who find themselves with some added flexibility in terms of available time for travel or shopping, forecasters say it could be advantageous to adjust certain plans before the storm’s peak impacts late this week and into the Christmas weekend. The storm’s enormous scope and intensity have the potential to leave people stranded on the highways and at the airports. Even if an airport is not in the storm’s primary target zone, delays at other travel hubs could cause a cascading effect in case aircraft and crews become displaced.

While the storm may initially delay the arrival of very cold air along the Eastern Seaboard, the frigid air is likely to plunge southeastward in the storm system’s wake. Those who will be away from home around Christmas may want to take precautions to avoid having their pipes freeze and potential water damage even in portions of the interstate 20 and 10 corridors of the South Central and Southeastern states, experts say.

AccuWeather's team of more than 100 meteorologists will continue to fine-tune the forecast for this emerging storm system in the days ahead.

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A severe arctic storm could threaten holiday travel across the U.S.

Emily Olson

David Schaper

Ivy Winfrey

An airline passenger walks between ride share vehicles after arriving at Chicago's Midway Airport just days before a major winter storm Tuesday, Dec. 20, in Chicago. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP hide caption

An airline passenger walks between ride share vehicles after arriving at Chicago's Midway Airport just days before a major winter storm Tuesday, Dec. 20, in Chicago.

Millions of Americans may want to reconsider their holiday travel plans, as bitter cold, biting wind and heavy snow are expected across the U.S. this week, imposing treacherous conditions just days before Christmas.

A bulletin from the National Weather Service (NWS) says a "strong arctic high pressure system," was sweeping down from Canada on Tuesday and appears poised to march towards the Great Plains, the Midwest and onto the Southeast on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, bringing life-threatening blizzard conditions and cold weather systems across 17 states.

The first day of winter arrives this week, marked by the solstice

Heavy snowfall and limited visibility caused Vancouver International Airport to temporarily shut down Tuesday, stranding scores of passengers. That could be a sign of things to come for holiday travelers in the U.S., as the frigid weather system moves across the country this week.

A man clears a driveway after a snow storm passed through northern Minnesota last week. Forecasters say another big storm is expected to hit the region this week. Holden Law/AP hide caption

A man clears a driveway after a snow storm passed through northern Minnesota last week. Forecasters say another big storm is expected to hit the region this week.

At least 250 flights into and out of the Seattle-Tacoma airport were cancelled Tuesday as heavy snow fell there, according to the tracking site Flight Aware. The Cascade Mountains in Washington state were seeing the heaviest snowfall on Tuesday, but nearby lowlands in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming could see a foot of snow, according to the NWS. The region could see another blast of snow and ice on Thursday.

The incoming arctic front will then cross over the northern Rockies, Great Basin and Northern Plains regions, sending temperatures plummeting as low as minus 30 degrees, with winds gusting at up to 60 mph.

Snow is likely to move into parts of Nebraska, Kansas, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin on Wednesday. By Thursday, blizzard conditions could hit the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions, including Chicago, potentially causing significant flight delays and cancellation at O'Hare International Airport, one of the nation's biggest airline hubs. The major travel hub cities of Denver, Salt Lake City and Minneapolis are expected to be impacted, too.

For the eastern U.S., heavy rain on Tuesday and Wednesday could result in snow or sleet in the Appalachian states on Thursday.

The National Weather Service temperature map for Tuesday. NWS hide caption

By Friday, temperatures could hit the season's lowest in what is only the first week of winter. Even northern Florida cities like Jacksonville and Tallahassee could see a chill as low as 20 F on Christmas Eve.

Most major airlines, including United, American, Delta, JetBlue and Southwest, are offering to waive change fees and fare differences for those wanting to change flights so they can travel before or after the storm, within small rebooking windows.

"That allows travelers who have tickets now and throughout the holiday week to take a look and reconsider," says Kathleen Bangs, spokesperson of the tracking site FlightAware.com. "Reconsider what day you want to go on, maybe reconsider the route if you have a connecting city, and reconsider possibly just changing that ticket to later on in the week or even banking that ticket for later use."

Her advice to all travelers this time of year:

" You really need to have a backup plan" Bangs says. "And that could mean anything from a secondary ticket on a different airline that leaves later in the day or perhaps the next morning. It means a reroute through another city where perhaps you get within a couple hundred miles of your destination and then you rent a car or you take a train."

Bangs says that in this weather there's a chance any flight could be canceled at any time, and it may be difficult to get a hold of a representative from an airline.

AAA says of the 113 million Americans traveling this holiday season, more than 90% of them will be driving. And with forecasts calling for blowing and drifting snow, as well as whiteout conditions in some parts, they should proceed with extreme caution, forecasters say.

"Low visibility will create even more dangerous travel conditions on top of snow covered roadways," the NWS says. "Additionally, the strong winds could lead to potential power outages from the Midwest to the Northeast."

"It is imperative that travelers check the latest forecast before venturing out."

Buffalo Bills fans braved chilly temperatures to sit in snow-covered seats during an NFL game in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Saturday. Adrian Kraus/AP hide caption

Buffalo Bills fans braved chilly temperatures to sit in snow-covered seats during an NFL game in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Saturday.

An outage that left 180,000 without power across New England over the weekend was resolved by Monday, but the Associated Press reported that attempts to bring extra utility workers into the state ahead of this week's storm were stymied by slick roads.

Heavy snow has left thousands without power in New England and New York

Police across New England also said they responded to hundreds of crashes and stranded vehicles, according to local media reports.

Frostbite is another risk for those trying to brave the cold, the NWS says. Subzero temperatures in some parts of the U.S. this week could lead to frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.

Those venturing outside should dress in layers, cover their skin and change into dry clothing as soon as possible. But, experts say, the best prevention by far is simply to stay indoors.

• winter weather
• holiday travel
• travel conditions

In Pictures

Wild winter storm in US disrupts Christmas travel

Blizzards, freezing rain, flooding and life-threatening cold create mayhem for those travelling for the holidays..

A wild winter storm continues to envelop much of the United States, bringing blinding blizzards, freezing rain, flooding and life-threatening cold that created mayhem for those travelling over the Christmas holiday.

The storm that arrived earlier in the week downed power lines, littered highways with piles of cars in deadly accidents and led to mass flight cancellations on Saturday.

The storm was nearly unprecedented in its scope, stretching from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico, with about 60 percent of the US population facing some sort of winter weather advisory or warning.

The frigid temperatures and gusty winds were expected to produce “dangerously cold wind chills across much of the central and eastern US this holiday weekend,” the weather service said, adding that the conditions “will create a potentially life-threatening hazard for travellers that become stranded”.

“In some areas, being outdoors could lead to frostbite in minutes,” it warned.

Adding to the woes were power outages that by late Friday were still affecting more than a million homes and businesses, according to the website PowerOutage, which tracks utility reports.

As millions of Americans were preparing to travel ahead of Christmas, more than 5,700 flights within, into or out of the US were cancelled on Friday, according to the tracking site FlightAware.

Officials said that multiple highways were closed, and crashes killed at least six. Four people died in a massive pileup involving some 50 vehicles on the Ohio Turnpike. A Kansas City, Missouri, driver was killed on Thursday after skidding into a creek, and three others died on Wednesday in separate crashes on icy northern Kansas roads.

Nearly 5,000 flights canceled as omicron helps spark Christmas travel chaos

Almost 5,000 flights were canceled across the world over Christmas weekend as holiday travel plans were brought to a halt amid the rapidly spreading omicron variant of Covid-19.

About 2,800 global flights were canceled on Christmas Day alone, according to flight tracker FlightAware , with some airline companies citing the spread of the new variant as the cause for the disruption. Close to 1,000 of the flights cancelled on Saturday had been set to fly within, into or out of the United States.

Thousands of Americans who were hoping to make it home for Christmas were likely left stranded, while in some parts of the country extreme weather caused further complications .

Several major airlines, including United, Delta and Alaska, said they had been forced to cancel hundreds of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day flights after the omicron variant infected employees and crew members. United said some of its 210 cancellations Saturday were also a result of close contact situations.

It comes as thousands of people across the U.S. were expected to be quarantining this Christmas after testing positive for Covid-19, while many others canceled, delayed or altered their festive plans due to rising cases amid the spread of the highly-transmissible variant.

On Christmas Eve alone, more than 197,300 new Covid cases were reported, according to a tracker maintained by The New York Times, which noted that many states did not report data for the day .

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not update their Covid data tracker on Friday and will not be doing so through Christmas and Boxing Day, before resuming on Monday, Dec. 27.

Extreme Christmas weather also threatened travel difficulties, with winter storms in the western U.S. bringing rain, snow and potentially even a rare white Christmas for some.

On Thursday, flooding in California left two people dead after their vehicle was submerged in a flooded underpass in Millbrae , south of San Francisco. Evacuation orders were also issued in Orange County due to possible mudslides and debris flows in three canyons, but they were lifted on Christmas Eve .

In a Christmas Day forecast summary, the National Weather Service said parts of the west could expect "significant mountain snowfall, travel disruptive lowland snow and rain through the Holiday Weekend."

"Anomalously cold conditions and a barrage of Pacific moisture results in prolonged periods of mountain snow and coastal/valley rain, some of which may fall heavy at times," the weather service said, adding that "enough cold air is in place for even metropolitan areas of the Northwest to receive measurable snowfall."

The heaviest snowfall, however, was expected to come down in the northern and central Sierras, with 2 to 4 feet of snow expected.

"Travel will be treacherous, to at time(s) impossible, from the Sierras to the central Rockies this weekend due to whiteout conditions and drifting snow," the National Weather Service warned.

The snow already caused major travel delays on Christmas Eve, with multiple spinouts forcing the closure of highways and interstates for hours, according to NBC affiliate KCRA-TV.

The delays lasted so long that some families began taking chairs out of their vehicles and creating an impromptu tailgate, KCRA reported.

In Portland, Oregon, a winter storm warning was issued as residents waited to see whether they will get a white Christmas this year.

According to the National Weather Service, the city’s metro area could receive as much as 2 to 5 inches of snow. Meanwhile, Seattle in neighboring Washington state could also witness a rare few inches of snow, with the city under a winter weather advisory through Sunday afternoon.

As parts of the western U.S. see storms, areas in the central and eastern U.S. are expected to see unusually warm temperatures, with record highs also possible form the Southern Plains to Mid-Atlantic.

“The warmest average temperatures for Christmas Day will stretch from the heart of Texas to the Middle Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley, and Mid-Atlantic where temperature departures look to range between 25 to 35 degrees above normal," the National Weather Service said.

Chantal Da Silva reports on world news for NBC News Digital and is based in London.

Watch CBS News

Here's what to expect for holiday travel as a winter storm sweeps across the U.S.

By Kerry Breen

Updated on: December 20, 2022 / 7:22 PM EST / CBS News

Those traveling for the holidays this week should prepare for busy roads, long lines and possible disruptions thanks to effects from a dangerous winter storm .

The Transportation Security Administration has predicted that the number of people flying for the holidays at the end of 2022 will approach pre-pandemic levels. AAA said in a statement that it expects 2022 to be the "third busiest year for holiday travel" since the organization began collecting travel-related data in 2000. 

"This year, travel time will be extended due to Christmas Day and New Year's Day falling on Sundays," said Paula Twidale, AAA's senior vice president of travel. "With hybrid work schedules, we are seeing more people take longer weekends to travel, because they can work remotely at their destination and be more flexible with the days they depart and return."

In total, AAA estimated that 112.7 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home in the period between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2. Most of those people will drive, but around 7.2 million are expected to fly. The Federal Aviation Administration said that nearly 200,000 flights are expected in that same time period. Nearly a quarter of those flights are scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 22, which the FAA predicts will be the busiest travel day of the season . Christmas Day itself will be the slowest day, with less than 30,000 flights scheduled. 

The early days of 2023 will also be a busy time for airlines: The FAA said they expect to guide "around 300,000 flights to their destinations safely for the New Year's holiday," with nearly 45,000 of those flights set for Jan. 4. 

Several airlines have already announced plans for how they will handle a winter storm that is expected to batter parts of the country with blizzard conditions and freezing temperatures, bringing with it the threat of mass delays and cancellations. American Airlines said it is operating in "all hands on deck" mode to make sure that customers can get to their destinations with limited disruptions, and noted that its de-icing teams have been preparing for winter weather "since late summer." United Airlines said its operations team is monitoring for developments and will "make adjustments ... as needed." 

American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines and more have already begun offering vouchers to allow customers whose travel plans are affected by the storm to rebook their flights without change fees. 

For the approximately 102 million people planning to drive this year, flight schedules and packed airports won't be a problem, but the storm could create dangerous conditions on the road. AAA recommends those who must travel during severe weather drive carefully and slowly, make sure there's plenty of gas in the tank and bring extra supplies such as heavy clothing and extra liquids in case of emergency. 

While traveling by car and plane are the most popular options this holiday season, they aren't the only ones: AAA estimated that 3.6 million people will travel by bus, rail or cruise ship, a 23% increase from 2021. 

• Federal Aviation Administration
• Holiday Season

Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.

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Should you change your travel plans? 'Bomb cyclone' storm threatens Christmas travel

How early should you get to the airport?

It's a question most travelers know to ask during busy holiday travel periods. Throngs of travelers, long check-in queues, jam-packed roadways and snaking security lines are among the reasons holiday flyers should give themselves and extra hour or two to get to their gate.

This Christmas, however, travelers may want to consider heading to the airport not just an hour or so earlier than normal – but perhaps by a full day or two.

Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG's free biweekly Aviation newsletter .

Winter weather may impact holiday travel

That's thanks to a massive winter storm winding up now that's threatening to bring treacherous weather to airports across a wide swath of the nation – including many of the nation's busiest airline hubs.

The storm — a potential " bomb cyclone ," according to The Weather Channel — already was bringing poor weather to the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday, where cancellations and delays were above normal at busy airports like Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA) and Portland International (PDX) in Oregon.

Travel disruptions will only likely worsen this week as the storm treks east in the days leading up to Christmas.

Snow is forecast for much of the Great Plains and Midwest from Wednesday into Thursday, with blizzard conditions and more than two feet of snowfall expected in some locations. The East Coast is also expected to get hit with a mix of snow, ice and rain. Heavy rain and strong winds could snarl busy Northeast airports.

Unusually cold weather also will complicate travel on the back end of the storm, with temperatures dropping into the teens as far south as places like Houston and Atlanta. Even New Orleans and Jacksonville, Florida, are expected to see temperatures in the low 20s later in the week. That could lead to icy conditions on roadways or deicing delays at airports that don't frequently encounter extreme cold.

And with the worst of the storm hitting the Midwest and East Coast just two days before Christmas this coming Sunday, there will likely be few options for stranded travelers to find new itineraries to get home before the holiday.

But, there are possible alternatives to just hoping for the best, as the big U.S. airlines have rolled out flexible rebooking waivers to let flexible travelers change their plans to avoid the storm.

When and where will travelers be affected?

The storm is already ashore in the Pacific Northwest, where some cancellations and delays are being tracked in the region. Nearly one out of five flights at Seattle was canceled Tuesday, and a similar number were delayed, according to the flight-tracking service FlightAware .

Forecasts called for the storm to move east, bringing snow to the Great Plains and Upper Midwest by Wednesday night before expanding into the Great Lakes by Thursday and lasting into Friday. Heavy rain and wind were forecast along much of the East Coast on Thursday and Friday, including at the Northeast's delay-prone airports in New York and Philadelphia. Freezing temperatures in the Deep South are expected by Thursday and into Friday.

And while flight delays and cancellations are possible outcomes of this weather system, the impacts likely won't just be limited to air travel as drivers across the impacted regions also should prepare for difficult conditions.

Should you fly out early?

Whether you should change your travel plans this holiday week to depart a day or two earlier than planned will depend on your travel plans and when and what type of weather is expected for your precise location(s).

Drivers will face particularly difficult conditions in many areas this week, leading the National Weather Service to warn travelers to consider adjusting their plans in light of the weather.

"The best Christmas gift you can give this year is to be around for another Christmas," the National Weather Service said in an advisory about the storm. "Plan now to delay, alter or cancel travel plans."

Air travelers also face complications, especially if their holiday plans call for them to fly through an airport in the storm's path.

Those with the flexibility to change planes might want to consider leaving early to get to their destinations before the storm snarls travel in the Midwest and East.

Flights are already full this time of year, and passengers displaced by cancellations or missed connections will likely find few empty seats on other flights. In other words, if you can be proactive and adjust your plans before many flights full of would-be travelers try to do the same, you may have more options.

What about those airline weather waivers?

Most of these waivers let customers make one change to their itinerary without paying any additional fee or fare difference. For example, United currently has well over 100 airports currently under waivers stretching all across the country with a rebooking window spanning from Dec. 19 - Dec. 28, 2022.

The dates and airports covered vary by airline, so check out the details for your carrier to see if a change makes sense for your itinerary.

• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Southwest Airlines
• United Airlines

Bottom line

Santa may still arrive right on time on Christmas Eve, but for flights that aren't reindeer-equipped, this may be the year you need to check the weather reports twice and think long and hard about changing your flight plans if your current itinerary puts you in a location with an unfavorable weather forecast.

• What to do when your flight is delayed or canceled
• Even more reasons to download your airline's app: Flight delays and cancellations
• What you can ask from an airline after a delay or cancellation

Christmas travel weather forecast includes rain, snow and storms in some areas

Christmas is almost here, and millions of Americans will be traveling by vehicle or plane over the next few days. But how will the weather impact your holiday plans?

Folks in the central and western U.S. are expected to see some travel delays because of weather in the days leading up to Christmas, forecasters say. This includes a potential snowstorm in the Rockies and Plains over the weekend.

"The bulk of the rain and snow that could pose travel headaches through Christmas Eve (Sunday) will be in the central and western states," said Weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. He added that much of the East Coast will stay dry during this time, with high pressure in control.

Bad weather in the West

On Thursday, heavy rain was forecast to continue across Southern California, likely causing further travel problems in and around Los Angeles and San Diego, the National Weather Service said. The rain will also create numerous areas of flash flooding with narrow canyons, gullies, and burn scars the most vulnerable areas. In addition, many streams may flood, potentially affecting larger rivers.

By Friday and into Saturday, the rain will taper off in Southern California as the storm moves into the Desert Southwest. Phoenix, for example, will see over an inch of rain on Friday, which will impact air and ground travel, the weather service said.

The Pacific Northwest will also see its share of weather woes on Friday, with rain forecast along the coast and in the valleys, while several inches of snow falls in the Cascades. "Those with pass travel in mind Friday into Saturday will want to make sure to stay up to date on the latest forecast updates," the weather service in Seattle advised.

By Christmas Eve and into Christmas Day, most of the Far West will see benign weather, AccuWeather said.

Storms in central US

"A round of wet weather will cross the southern Plains from Thursday into Friday, bringing the potential for heavy rain to cities such as  Oklahoma City ,  Dallas  and  Houston  by the end of the week,"  AccuWeather  senior meteorologist Heather Zehr said.

The central U.S. will see more rain by the weekend, Zehr said: "After a short break, another round of potentially travel-disrupting rains can move through over the weekend. This rain may linger into Christmas Day in some places."

Snow was becoming increasingly likely to cause travel troubles in the northern Rockies and northern Plains by the weekend, forecasters said. According to AccuWeather, a belt of heavy snow was expected to fall across portions of Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and the Dakotas.

This includes the Denver metro area and Denver International Airport, where 2-4 inches of snow is forecast, AccuWeather said.

Calm, quiet in the East until Christmas

For many travelers on Thursday and Friday, conditions will be fairly good because of high pressure promoting tranquil weather across most of the East Coast, AccuWeather said. Key travel hubs in the East, such as  Washington ,  New York City ,  Boston  and  Atlanta , should face limited weather-related delays or cancellations.

The quiet weather in the East is expected to continue into the weekend before going downhill on Christmas Day. "By Christmas Day, some of the wet weather will inch closer to the East, especially the Southeast states," Dolce said. "Thereafter, a storm system could pose weather-related travel headaches to much of the East in the days after Christmas, but details are still uncertain."

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Ice storms and blizzards pummel the central US a day after Christmas

In this photo provided by Nebraska State Patrol, two tractor-trailers lose control on Christmas Day on Interstate 80 in Nebraska as a winter storm pummels part of the Midwest, on Monday, Dec. 25, 2023. Forecasters are predicting that heavy snow and blizzard conditions will continue through early Wednesday across part of the north-central U.S. (Nebraska State Patrol via AP)

Ice coats a vehicle in Bismarck, N.D., on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023. An ice storm, part of a multistate storm in the Northern Plains, struck eastern North Dakota beginning Monday afternoon, Dec. 25, and moved westward, making highways slippery and impacting travel. (AP Photo/Jack Dura)

In this photo provided by Nebraska State Patrol, a tractor trailer veers into ditch on Christmas Day on Interstate 80 in Nebraska as a winter storm pummels part of the Midwest, on Monday, Dec. 25, 2023. Forecasters are predicting that heavy snow and blizzard conditions will continue through early Wednesday across part of the north-central U.S. (Nebraska State Patrol via AP)

An Elbert County truck with sand passes the closure barrier on Colorado County Highway 86 just east of Kiowa, Colo.. The road was closed to Limon after a blizzard hit the eastern plains of the state. Jerilee Bennett/The Gazette via AP)

Drake Prokop shovels snow hit in front of Bino’s Pizza after a blizzard on Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2023, in Kiowa, Colo. (Jerilee Bennett/The Gazette via AP)

Brian Smith moves slowly pulling a pair of bags across an ice covered parking lot in downtown Bismarck, N.D., on Tuesday morning, Dec. 26, 2023, as ice covered streets and sidewalks made walking and driving difficult. (Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune via AP)

Mariah Sanders sprinkles rock salt to melt the ice covered sidewalk outside the Hi Honey salon downtown Bismarck, N.D., on Tuesday morning, Dec. 26, 2023, as ice covered streets and sidewalks made walking and driving difficult. Sanders said she was expecting a customer, but others had called in to postpone due to weather conditions. (Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune via AP)

A car collided with a pole near downtown Bismarck, N.D., on Tuesday morning, Dec. 26, 2023, as ice covered streets and sidewalks made walking and driving difficult. (Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune via AP)

The intersection of Fourth Street and Avenue C in Bismarck, N.D., is seen on Tuesday morning, Dec. 26, 2023, as ice covered streets and sidewalks made walking and driving difficult. (Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune via AP)

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — From an ice storm in North Dakota that sealed windows shut to blizzard conditions in Colorado causing hundreds of airport delays and cancellations, a winter storm pummeled much of the central United States on Tuesday, the day after Christmas.

“The heavy snow conditions in the Plains should be slowly alleviating today, but it’ll be very slow,” said Weather Prediction Center forecaster David Roth. “Even when the snow ends, the high winds should keep visibility near zero — whiteout conditions — for a decent part of today.”

Laura Schmidt-Dockter, a resident of Bismarck, North Dakota, wore ice spikes on her shoes as she walked outside to the trash can. Her driveway was sheer ice, she said. A neighbor took to the street on ice skates.

“It’s actually not bad!” the neighbor quipped about the quality of the ice, skating by Schmidt-Dockter in a video she posted to social media.

At Denver International Airport there were over 530 flight delays and 23 cancellations as of Tuesday afternoon, according to tracking website FlightAware. Blizzard conditions on Colorado’s plains closed Interstate 70 eastbound from the outer edge of the Denver area to Kansas. Travelers were also unable to head westbound into Colorado from Kansas on the highway because of the threat posed by high winds.

According to the National Weather Service, it’s considered a blizzard when winds exceed 35 miles per hour (56 kilometers per hour) for three hours or more, with considerable blowing snow and visibility down to less than a quarter-mile (0.4 kilometers).

Blizzard warnings were in effect mid-Tuesday for western portions of South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas, along with eastern portions of Colorado and Wyoming. Ice storm warnings and winter weather advisories remained in place in South Dakota, North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.

On Christmas Day, one person was killed and three others were injured in Kansas, when the driver of a pickup truck lost control on snow and ice and collided head-on with a sport utility vehicle 5 miles (8 kilometers) west of Larned, according to the State Patrol. The woman killed in the crash was identified as Evelyn Reece, 86, of Wichita.

Rosebud Sioux Tribe officials in South Dakota said on social media that some people had ignored the no-travel advisory issued Monday evening. The advisory meant no one should have been on highways or backroads because of the whiteout, they said.

“We have multiple resources being dispatched to rescue a total of 13 people who ignored the advisory, and then rescue the ranchers who got stuck trying to get to them,” the tribe’s Office of Emergency Management posted on Facebook early Tuesday, along. Nine hours later, the office gave an update saying the motorists were safe “and all is well.”

Badlands National Park and the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in South Dakota were closed Tuesday due to the severe weather.

On Monday, wind gusts howled as high as 67 miles per hour (108 kilometers per hour) in Oakes, North Dakota, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Megan Jones.

The ice storm has affected highways throughout the eastern parts of the state, with Interstate 29 from Grand Forks to the Canadian border closed until Tuesday afternoon, and no travel advised in south-central parts of the state. Freezing rain began in Fargo on Monday afternoon and expanded westward, Jones said, and as much as three-quarters of an inch of freezing rain fell in Jamestown.

Heavy icing and strong winds downed tree branches and cause power outages in the southern James River Valley.

No major outages were reported. Still, the weather service reminded people about the risk of fire caused by candles or space heaters. Anyone using a portable generator should keep it outside and at least 20 feet (6 meters) away from doors, windows and garages to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

“We just want people to be careful if they have power outages,” Jones said. “You always want to be careful with your heat sources.”

Associated Press writers Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas, and Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota, contributed to this report.

Trisha Ahmed is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @TrishaAhmed15

Massive winter storm, expected blizzard will snarl Christmas week travel with life-threatening conditions

Blizzard conditions are expected in parts of the midwest and great lakes on thursday and friday, which will lead to devastating impacts on holiday travel, including the potential for prolonged flight delays or numerous cancellations at chicago o'hare international airport..

Christmas week blizzard will snarl travel for millions

A dangerous blizzard and the arctic blast that will follow, will lead to potentially life-threatening conditions and massive travel delays in the days leading up to Christmas.

A massive winter storm is brewing for millions across the Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast, packing dangerous threats of heavy snow, rain, damaging winds and plummeting temperatures that could snarl travel at the peak of the busy holiday season .

Forecast details for this winter storm are now coming into focus. A far-reaching, highly-impactful storm system will affect millions of people starting Wednesday, with peak impacts expected from Thursday through early Saturday (Christmas Eve).

In fact, blizzard conditions are expected in parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes on Thursday and Friday, which will lead to devastating impacts on holiday travel, including the potential for prolonged flight delays or numerous cancellations at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

"The next two days are your getaway days. As we go into the end of the week, that's when we see some big-time issues, especially for Friday," FOX Weather meteorologist Britta Merwin said. "Friday is one of the biggest travel days that we will see for the entire week, and that's when we will see the majority of the snow, the strongest winds, and of course, a lot of rain, especially for the East Coast."

DON’T LEAVE ANY OF THESE ITEMS IN YOUR CAR THIS WINTER

Wednesday-Wednesday night: Snow, gusty winds spread from Rockies to Plains

Light to moderate snow will first develop Wednesday across the northern Rockies along and ahead of the arctic cold front charging south out of Canada . The snow will then spread into the northern Plains on Wednesday afternoon.

According to the FOX Forecast Center , there remains uncertainty in how far east the snow will spread, with some indication that it might reach as far as Wisconsin by sunset. However, the snow should remain relatively light, with only a few inches expected.

Wednesday night, the snow will continue to spread south and eastward ahead of the cold front, potentially reaching as far south as Oklahoma and as far east as Michigan by early Thursday.

The snowfall will be accompanied by gusty winds between 30 and 55 mph, which could make travel hazardous from Kansas to Wisconsin.

TRAVELING THIS WINTER? HERE’S WHAT TO KEEP IN YOUR CAR IN CASE YOU GET STUCK

Wind gust forecast in the Plains and Midwest.

(FOX Weather)

Thursday-Friday: Virtually impossible travel as blizzard conditions wallop Midwest, Great Lakes

From there, the FOX Forecast Center predicts an area of low pressure will develop in the Midwest and rapidly strengthen into a powerful low-pressure system over the Great Lakes.

That will allow heavy snow, fueled by moisture from the Great Lakes, to bury portions of the Midwest. The dangerous combination of high winds and falling snow could reduce visibility to near-zero at times, which would make travel virtually impossible for some parts of the region in the days leading up to Christmas weekend.

WHAT ARE THE WORST AIRPORTS TO FLY INTO DURING WINTER?

According to the FOX Forecast Center, blizzard conditions are likely Thursday and Friday. A snowstorm must reach the following criteria to become an official blizzard : sustained winds or frequent gusts to at least 35 mph and considerable falling and/or blowing snow that frequently reduces visibility to one-quarter mile or less, both of which must persist for a period of three hours or longer.

Major travel disruptions are a serious concern for anyone who will be flying through Chicago O'Hare International Airport on Thursday or Friday.

Many areas from the eastern Plains to the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes are predicted to receive at least 6 inches of snow from this winter storm.

More than a foot of snow is likely across portions of northern and southeastern Wisconsin, northeastern Illinois, northern Indiana and western and northern Michigan. This could potentially include the cities of Chicago and Milwaukee.

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan and parts of far northern Wisconsin will likely receive more than 2 feet of snow due to enhancement from Lake Superior .

THESE ARE THE 7 SNOWIEST CITIES IN THE U.S.

Wind gusts are expected to reach 50 to 70 mph, which would likely lead to tree damage and cause numerous power outages. This would be a dangerous situation ahead of the arctic blast following immediately in the wake of the storm .

HERE’S WHAT TO HAVE ON HAND IF THE POWER GOES OUT DURING A WINTER STORM

Friday-Saturday: Heavy rain, damaging winds could cause widespread power outages in East

Most of the East will see a soaking rain rather than snow from this winter storm, but significant impacts are still expected as damaging winds will blast the region from Friday into early Saturday (Christmas Eve).

FOX Weather FutureTrack for Friday, Dec. 23, 2022.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, widespread 60-plus-mph wind gusts are likely, and there is the potential for gusts even reaching as high as 80 mph as the arctic cold front passes through on Friday or Friday night.

At least scattered power outages are expected, and more widespread outages are certainly possible. Again, this would be a dangerous situation with the bitterly cold temperatures and wind chills arriving Friday night and continuing through Christmas weekend.

BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HIGH WINDS

In addition to the wind, between 1 and 3 inches of rain is expected to soak the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with localized totals exceeding 3 inches not ruled out.

Flash flooding could become a concern, especially in areas of the interior Northeast that have several inches of snow on the ground following last week's winter storm .

Additionally, along the immediate East Coast, coastal flooding could develop at high tide Thursday and Friday because of two days of strong onshore winds off the Atlantic.

EXPLAINING FLOOD ALERTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

Rainfall forecast in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

Any snow in the East with this next storm will likely be confined to northern New England, portions of upstate New York, the Ohio Valley, western and central Pennsylvania and the higher elevations of the central Appalachians.

While accumulations will remain light in most areas, at least 6 inches of snowfall is possible to the east of lakes Erie and Ontario in western and northern New York, northern Ohio and portions of western Pennsylvania due to lake enhancement.

WHAT IS LAKE-EFFECT SNOW

The storm will gradually wind down through the day on Christmas Eve as the low-pressure system moves north into Canada.

However, gusty winds will continue, which will send wind chills to dangerous levels, especially for any people without power.

• Winter Weather

NYC coastal storm forecast: Impact on early Christmas travel Sunday into Monday

Nyc coastal storm forecast.

High winds and rain is expected to pummel most parts of the city, Long Island, and southern Connecticut.

WASHINGTON - Christmas travel is getting underway this weekend, but the FOX Forecast Center is tracking a developing coastal storm that will impact millions in at least 20 states – including New Jersey, New York and Connecticut – as it slides up the East Coast this weekend and into early next week, slamming the region with heavy rain and strong wind.

A high wind watch has been issued for Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, coastal Connecticut and New London County.

There is a wind advisory for Manhattan, Staten Island, the Bronx, parts of Westchester and southern Connecticut.

So, if you’re among the over 115 million Americans expected to travel 50 miles or more this holiday season, you'll want to prepare for delays on the roads and at some of our nation’s busiest airports if your travels take you to the East.

The futuretrack of a coastal storm through Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (FOX Weather)

New York City timing

"Timing is everything," FOX Weather Meteorologist Craig Herrera said. "When you’re talking about Sunday, Monday, this is when we’re watching all of this energy coming together."

And the impacts from the storm will vary as it slides up along the Interstate 95 corridor.

"This is really one of those systems that is going to produce a whole lot of rain up and down the I-95 corridor," Herrera continued. "You’re talking rain, more of it, from Florida clear up into New England."

Millions of people in the eastern U.S. are at risk of seeing impacts from a powerful coastal storm this weekend. (FOX Weather)

The storm system will continue to sweep across the Plains states and Midwest this week. As it does so, it’s expected to spawn a low pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico, which will bring heavy rain, flash flooding and coastal flooding, and strong winds to Florida and parts of the Southeast.

NYC winter 2023: How much snow, extreme weather could we see?

What's in store for winter 2023-2024 in the New York City area? FOX 5 NY's Nick Gregory shares his winter weather outlook, including snow predictions and his long-range storm forecast.

That low pressure system will then begin to slide up the East Coast early next week, bringing with it heavy rain, a flood risk and gusty winds. 

There’s also the possibility that cold air could get wrapped up on the back side of the system as it pushes farther north, producing snow in parts of the Northeast.

New York City impacts

Major cities like Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and Boston could see 2-3 inches of rain.

The flash-flood risk on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023. (FOX Weather)

In addition, if cold air does get wrapped around the back end of the storm, snow could fall in the higher terrain of the interior Northeast.

The FOX Forecast Center warns the storm could create major travel disruptions on the roads and at airports in the eastern U.S., starting as early as Saturday.

"It’s a stretch that is so popular for driving," FOX Weather Meteorologist Britta Merwin said. "I mean, the 95 corridor on any weekend can get slammed. But you put in the fact that next week is the last full week before Christmas, and also we’re finishing up Hanukkah. You know, it’s going to be a lot of people that are trying to drive up and down the East Coast."

Forecast rain totals in the Northeast. (FOX Weather)

At the region's busy airports, rain combined with low clouds will slow down arrivals and departures, and the wind will also create issues for planes attempting to take off or land on some runways depending on their direction.

"We will easily have wind gusts that are 40, 45 mph, depending on the position of the low," Merwin continued. "That could actually increase the wind in the forecast. That’s probably the most volatile variable in this when it comes to placement – depending on where the low is over land or over the water."

The wind gust forecast through Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (FOX Weather)

The placement of the low will dramatically change who sees the strongest wind gusts from this storm and where the strongest winds will set up.

"This is going to be the part that you really want to focus in on as we work our way through the weekend."

clock This article was published more than  1 year ago

Carnival passengers recount ‘nightmare’ cruise as storm floods ship

Videos showed the Carnival Sunshine cabins and hallways flooding and ceilings leaking

Matthew Branham and his fiancée, Madison Davis, were lying by a Carnival Sunshine pool on Friday aboard a cruise returning to Charleston, S.C., from the Bahamas when an announcement came over the loudspeaker. The captain was expecting rougher weather that evening, but there was nothing to worry about. So Branham and Davis didn’t worry.

As the day went on, “We noticed it started getting cooler in the afternoon — much, much cooler,” said Branham, 25, of Castlewood, Va. “And then it was like a switch was flipped, and it literally turned into a nightmare.”

En route back to Charleston Friday night into Saturday, the Carnival Sunshine navigated into a strong storm system that battered the southeast over the holiday weekend. Videos emerged on social media showing cabins and hallways flooding, shop floors littered with destroyed merchandise and leaking ceilings . Passenger Brad Morrell snapped a photo of an automated instrument map reporting a 69 knot, or 79 mph, wind.

#CarnivalSunshine : Due to return to Charleston, South Carolina this Saturday, May 27, 2023, has been delayed due to severe weather. The ship is currently off the South Carolina coast and holding position, unable to return to the port because of high winds & rough seas. #cruise 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/2B6HlAn2yD — ∼Marietta (@MariettaDaviz) May 28, 2023

Carnival said in a statement that the weather was unexpectedly strong, causing conditions that were rougher than forecast, but that its fleet operations center team, which relies on outside meteorology resources for itinerary planning, “coordinated to keep the ship in its safest location.”

“Attempting to sail out of the large front could have been dangerous,” the statement continued. “The ship proceeded to the port as soon as the weather began to clear.”

Strong Southeast storm slams Carolinas

Carnival said the captain made “several announcements about the weather and the delay it caused in returning to Charleston, asking guests to use extra precaution while walking around the ship.” Additionally, “some of the worst weather occurred in the overnight hours when announcements are not typically made, but guests and crew were safe.”

The ship’s medical staff did help a “small number” of guests and crew members who needed minor assistance following the storm. Despite the significant damage and a delay in schedule, Carnival Sunshine embarked on its next five-day Bahama sailing on Saturday.

From their sea-view room, Branham and Davis watched as waves surged over their window and braced themselves as the 892-foot-long ship lurched in the storm.

“Waves were hitting the boat so hard that it was like an earthquake experience, jarring you like a really rough roller coaster — even in the middle floor,” Branham said.

They were told to stay in their cabins. Meanwhile, Branham said, TVs were falling off walls, and glassware was sliding off shelves and shattering on the floor. “You could not stand up in your room,” he said. “You could be thrown from the bed.”

They packed up their belongings when their floor started to flood and took shelter in a main lobby area.

“All of the employees were sprinting downstairs with life vests,” Branham said. “There were little kids besides us screaming and crying and throwing fits.”

Throughout the storm, Branham wondered why there weren’t more announcements from Carnival staff. Besides the warning of rougher seas earlier Friday and one Saturday morning after they’d weathered the storm, Branham said they weren’t given any official updates on their situation. When he asked workers what was going on, they told him not to worry.

⁦⁦ @CarnivalCruise ⁩ #carnivalsunshine still 75mph winds at 9:25am. Sitting and spinning in the Atlantic. pic.twitter.com/NITCO2l9Ss — FlyersCaptain™®© (@flyerscaptain) May 29, 2023

“But you see rooms flooded, and you can pick up a handful of sand and you’re kind of like, ‘What in the world? Why is nobody telling us anything?’” Branham said.

Jim Walker, a maritime lawyer and cruise industry legal expert, says his firm has been contacted by some Carnival Sunshine passengers who were injured during the storm, including a man who says he was struck by a door and broke his foot. Others have asked him about the potential for a class-action lawsuit.

While Walker said passengers should make their complaints known to Carnival, he doesn’t believe filing a lawsuit would be an efficient next step. Instead, impacted passengers can ask Carnival for a refund or a credit for another cruise, although there’s no guarantee the cruise line will grant such requests.

Pete Peterson, owner of Storybook Cruises , which is affiliated with Cruise Planners, said cruise ships keep a close eye on weather developments and will adjust their itinerary depending on the severity of the storm.

“Cruise lines monitor the weather all the time. They’re not going to put their passengers in harm’s way,” said Peterson, who has been a cruise adviser for more than 20 years and has sailed on nearly 60 cruises. “Obviously, some cruise lines are better at doing this than others.”

In 2016, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas returned to port after cruising into a “bomb cyclone,” which damaged the ship amid winds gusting to 100 mph. The ship sailed into the remnants of Hurricane Hermine seven months later, causing additional problems.

To ensure the safety and comfort of its passengers, a cruise ship can alter its course and circumvent the rough weather system. In stormy conditions, the crew can deploy the stabilizers, which will prevent the ship from rolling and bucking.

“You don’t experience the up and down,” Peterson said. “It’s not as rough a ride.”

Both approaches can add to a cruise line’s expenditures, Peterson said. Stabilizers slow the vessel, thereby consuming more fuel. Sailing around the storm can take longer than the original route and disrupt the company’s cruise schedule, leading to delays or cancellations. The cruise line may have to reimburse passengers or provide them with future credits because of the inconvenience.

“When they do something like that, it’s going to cost them money,” Peterson said.

Craig Setzer , a meteorologist and hurricane preparedness specialist, said that even with the hurricane-like conditions and flooding, “I would never be in doubt of the vessel’s integrity,” he said. “Cruise ships are structurally very, very sound and can survive a lot. They’re really rugged.”

Matthew Cappucci contributed to this report.

More cruise news

Living at sea: Travelers on a 9-month world cruise are going viral on social media. For some travelers, not even nine months was enough time on a ship; they sold cars, moved out of their homes and prepared to set sail for three years . That plan fell apart, but a 3.5-year version is waiting in the wings.

Passengers beware: It’s not all buffets and dance contests. Crime data reported by cruise lines show that the number of sex crimes has increased compared to previous years. And though man-overboard cases are rare, they are usually deadly .

The more you know: If you’re cruise-curious, here are six tips from a newcomer. Remember that in most cases, extra fees and add-ons will increase the seemingly cheap price of a sailing. And if you happen to get sick , know what to expect on board.

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Storms Snarl Memorial Day Travel After at Least 23 Killed

The weather disrupted flights at airports from Atlanta to Boston on Monday after powerful winds and rain battered towns across the South over the weekend.

Severe Storms and Tornadoes Cause Destruction in Several States

Severe weather hit several parts of the united states over the weekend, killing more than 20 people and leaving hundreds of thousands without power..

[NO SPEECH]

By Katie Benner and Ernesto Londoño

Follow our updated coverage of Tuesday’s severe weather here .

Severe weather stretching across the Midwest and East Coast on Monday disrupted plans for millions of Americans trying to make it home after a busy weekend that was expected to break records for Memorial Day travel. The disruptions followed storms and tornadoes that killed at least 23 people in the South and left hundreds of thousands without power.

Flights at airports from Atlanta to Boston experienced ground delays and stops as severe weather, including heavy rain and potentially damaging wind and hail, moved into much of the Eastern United States on Monday afternoon and evening.

Parts of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania were under severe storm watches through late Monday, and a tornado watch was issued for an area from northern Maryland through eastern North Carolina, including Washington, D.C. Heat and more thunderstorms were forecast for Texas and the Southern Plains on Tuesday, including possible hail and strong winds.

Officials with the Federal Aviation Administration said that they had worked with the airlines to plan for the expected weather disruptions over the Memorial Day weekend. On Friday, 2.9 million people were screened at U.S. airports , the Transportation Security Administration said — a single-day record.

By midday on Monday, La Guardia Airport in New York City had reported average ground delays of 100 minutes. Flights were also delayed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest in the world. And ground stops and major delays were reported or expected at airports in Chicago, Virginia, Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia and Cleveland because of the storms, according to the F.A.A.

In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency on Monday morning after four people were killed over the weekend. On Monday afternoon, Gov. Beshear announced a fifth storm-related death in the state, a person who died from a heart attack while cutting fallen trees. More than 150,000 customers in the state were without power at midday after damaging winds.

Elsewhere, a tornado left at least seven people dead in North Texas, including two children ages 2 and 5. Eight people were killed in Arkansas, and two died in Oklahoma as severe storms swept through the region, flattening hundreds of buildings and blowing away homes. And severe thunderstorms in Virginia resulted in at least one fatality, officials said.

Share of customers without power

Thousands of others in the South and the Midwest were without power on Monday, according to the tracking site poweroutage.us .

Later on Monday, severe thunderstorms were expected from Texas to New York, the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center said . Flash flooding was possible from Maryland to the Catskill Mountains in New York, the Weather Service said , and tornadoes were possible in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Forecast risk of severe storms for Monday

The system was the latest to pummel the region over the past few days. Five people were killed and part of a city was obliterated in Iowa last week after a powerful tornado hit.

President Biden issued a statement of condolence to those affected by the storms, and he thanked emergency responders for their work.

“Jill and I are praying for those who tragically lost their lives as a result of devastating tornadoes that tore through Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma, leveling entire communities and leaving a path of destruction in their wake,” Mr. Biden said.

Mr. Biden said that the federal government was “ready to provide support as needed.” He noted that the Memorial Day holiday storms came just weeks after counties in the Midwest and South were recovering from severe weather.

On Sunday, severe thunderstorms in Howell County, Mo., produced hail the size of baseballs and tornadoes that downed trees and damaged homes near the town of Mountain View, said Kelsey Angle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Springfield.

In Kentucky, Governor Beshear deployed the National Guard to help state forestry workers clear downed trees and dangerous debris. He activated the state’s price-gouging statute to prevent price increases on necessary supplies, and said he believed that the state would qualify for public assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Emergency workers have reported high water, fallen trees and other dangerous conditions in about a third of Kentucky’s 120 counties, mostly in the western part of the state, Jim Gray, the Kentucky transportation secretary, said at a news conference. The storms also impacted nearly 100 state highways.

In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott s igned a severe weather disaster declaration that covered 106 counties. Officials estimate that nearly 100 people were injured over the weekend, more than 200 homes were destroyed and over 220 buildings were damaged.

Johnny Diaz and Mike Ives contributed reporting.

Katie Benner is a correspondent writing primarily about large institutions that shape American life. More about Katie Benner

Ernesto Londoño is a Times reporter based in Minnesota, covering news in the Midwest and drug use and counternarcotics policy. More about Ernesto Londoño

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‘good one’ rising star lily collias is ready to take on the world, breaking news.

Comedy ‘The Christmas Letter’ Starring Chevy Chase, Randy Quaid Acquired By Scatena & Rosner Films

By Matt Grobar

Matt Grobar

Senior Film Reporter

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EXCLUSIVE : Scatena & Rosner Films has acquired worldwide rights to The Christmas Letter , a holiday comedy starring Angus Benfield ( The Keeper ), Chevy Chase ( Community ), Randy Quaid ( The Last Detail ), and Brian Doyle-Murray ( Groundhog Day ). Marking the feature directorial debut of Tori Hunter , the film is expected to be released in theaters later this year.

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Written by Michael Cunningham, the flick is produced by Benfield and Michael Cunningham. Daniel Hegel, Ruth Benfield, Gato Scatena, and Jordan Rosner served as executive producers.

“This film is going to be such a fun nod to classics like ‘Christmas Vacation,’ we’re very excited to bring it to audiences this year,” said S&R’s Scatena. “These filmmakers are extremely talented, and we’re very excited to be working with them.”

The acquisition was negotiated by Rosner on behalf of S&R, and Benfield on behalf of the filmmakers.

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