Severe Winter Storms Cause Over 1,500 Flight Cancellations and Widespread Disruptions Across the U.S.

Over 1,500 flights in the United States were canceled on Wednesday due to severe weather, with massive storms threatening record snowfall. The storm prompted school closures across the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and brought strong winds and power outages to California.

The National Weather Service issued advisories for winter storms, blizzards, and high winds across the western and north-central U.S., with some areas expecting up to 2 feet of snow. More than 55 million people, from the Northern Plains to Boston and Maine and along the western U.S. coast, were under winter weather warnings or advisories.

Officials warned residents to avoid driving due to potential “whiteout” conditions. Blizzard warnings were issued in Southern California’s mountain regions, a rarity in over 30 years.

By late Wednesday, 4,728 flights were delayed, and 1,556 were canceled, with significant disruptions in Minneapolis-St. Paul and Denver.

An arctic air mass from Canada, combined with multiple frontal systems, is expected to bring widespread heavy snow across the West and northern U.S., with the heaviest snowfall in east-central Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin. Wind chills in the Dakotas and Minnesota could reach minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

In New Jersey, a tornado caused significant damage in Mercer County on Tuesday, leaving 27 condo units uninhabitable. Minnesota officials urged residents to prepare and limit travel, while schools announced closures and shifts to e-learning.

California also faced winter weather, with strong winds causing power outages affecting 68,000 customers. Another Pacific storm is forecasted to bring more rain and snow.

Conversely, record warmth is expected in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast, with temperatures soaring into the 70s and 80s, resembling June rather than February.

Cities like Orlando, Lexington, and Nashville could see record or near-record high temperatures, significantly above average for this time of year.