Arctic blast cripples post-Thanksgiving travel as thundersnow and blizzard conditions threaten millions

An Arctic blast gripped the northern Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes Saturday morning, with millions of Americans under freeze warnings.

At least 15 million are under winter alerts across the Great Lakes and the Central Plains to the Appalachians on Saturday, while roughly 4 million people are under freeze warnings in the Southeast.

The National Weather Service warned that the Arctic airmass is delivering the coldest temperatures since last winter. Wind chills in the northern Plains and upper Midwest are expected to plunge below zero Saturday morning. Parts of North Dakota could experience wind chills as low as minus 30 to 40 degrees, according to the agency.

The highest snow accumulations are expected east of Lake Ontario, where some isolated areas could be hit by up to 60 inches of snow by early next week around the Watertown, New York, area, the National Weather Service said.

Wind gusts will likely cause blowing and drifting snow, as well as isolated power outages, and visibility will be drastically reduced with near whiteout conditions.

Governor Kathy Hochul on Saturday warned New Yorkers to avoid unnecessary travel. 

A day earlier, Hochul declared a state of emergency for several counties, including Erie and Oswego. At times, snowfall rates will be blinding, at 3 to 4 inches an hour, and could be accompanied by thundersnow, a rare weather event that combines a snowstorm with thunder and lightning, creating hazardous travel conditions.

By Friday night, more than 20 inches of snow had already fallen along Lake Erie’s shores in parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, according to the National Weather Service. Video from Saturday morning shows roads in Ashtabula, Ohio, covered in snow, making it difficult for drivers to use them.

Erie, Pennsylvania, recorded 30 inches of snow, the highest total so far, according to the agency.

A power outage in Terminal D at the Philadelphia International Airport Friday night impacted nearly 40 flights, although none were cancelled. Power was restored to the terminal Saturday afternoon.

Additional travel disruptions have choked post-Thanksgiving travel plans, especially along Interstate 90 between Cleveland and Buffalo. Social media videos taken on Friday show drivers stuck in bumper to bumper traffic in a snowstorm on the interstate. Storm totals up to 3 to 6 feet will be possible through Monday, continuing to impact travel between Cleveland and Buffalo.

The interstate was closed in Pennsylvania late Friday afternoon, between interstate 79 to the New York state line, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, of New York, said during a news conference. Other possibly affected thoroughfares include Interstate 81, north of Syracuse, New York.

The National Weather Service said Friday that travel “could be very difficult to impossible” in spots downwind of the Great Lakes.