Topline
Winter Storm Elliott could bring historically low temperatures through the weekend, resulting in additional flight cancellations and power outages, according to the National Weather Service, as more than 4,300 flights in the U.S. were canceled and 5,200 more were delayed Friday.
More than 6,000 flights were canceled Friday.
Key Facts
As of 1:30 p.m. Friday, 4,352 U.S.-based flights have been canceled while 5,215 have been delayed, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has experienced the most cancellations so far, with 69% of flights being canceled today, while other airports in the Midwest, like Chicago Midway International (58%) and Detroit Metro (42%), continue to cancel flights.
The National Weather Service has issued hard freeze warnings for Northern Louisiana, Central Mississippi, Central Alabama, North Florida and Southwestern Georgia, while other states, including South Carolina and North Carolina, have been issued wind chill advisories.
More than 1.5 million people are without power across the U.S. and Canada as of 1:30 p.m. Friday, according to Poweroutage, as North Carolina (176,569) has the most customers with blackouts, followed by Virginia (149,524), Tennessee (124,153), Maine (119,412) and New York (100,346).
Heavy snows are expected in parts of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio and are projected to move toward the Northeast this weekend, the service said, as “significant” freezing rain is expected in the Pacific Northwest.
Big Number
181 million. That’s the number of U.S. residents living under wind chill warnings or advisories, the National Weather Service said. An additional 11 million have been issued blizzard warnings, 58 million for winter storm warnings and 500,000 for ice storm warnings.
What To Watch For
Meteorologists have projected wind gusts up to 55 mph in Chicago Friday, while areas from Kansas City to Michigan could be hit by a bomb cyclone—a rapidly intensifying storm—resulting in heavy rain and low visibility. Heavy rain and wind are projected to hit portions of New England and New York, followed by freezing temperatures and icy roads. The Weather Channel expects Great Lakes states to receive as much as a foot of snow.
Key Background
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (R) was one of several state governors to issue a state of emergency earlier this week, anticipating “extremely low temperatures” and possible power outages. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) warned the storm is “going to be really dangerous” while urging residents to “stay inside and hunker down, hopefully with your family, for the Christmas holiday.” The National Weather Service suggests the storm, which will “continue to sweep across the eastern third of the nation” today, will begin to subside early next week.
Further Reading
Winter Storm Elliott: Nearly 2,000 U.S. Flights Canceled As Mega Storm Disrupts Holiday Travel (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2022/12/23/winter-storm-elliott-6000-flights-canceled-and-these-states-have-major-power-outages/