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Winter weather alerts for 5 million people as snow continues to hit northern states

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Winter weather alerts for 5 million people as snow continues to hit northern states

Some 5 million people across the Great Lakes and southern Appalachians are under winter weather alerts Monday morning, with the snow and rain that have disrupted the post-holiday travel period in the Northeast set to last well into the week.

Parts of New York have already received upwards of 58 inches — almost 5 feet — of snow, with at least 30 inches in Erie, Pennsylvania, since the current winter storm began.

And for many, there is no relief from the winter onslaught: lake-effect snow warnings are still in effect for Cleveland, and also Erie, Pennsylvania — with snow in areas downwind of Lake Erie set to last at least into Wednesday.

Elsewhere, winter storm warnings and advisories are in place across both the Michigan peninsulas and Syracuse, New York.

Affected areas could see 1 to 2 inches of snow per hour Monday reducing visibility and creating potentially hazardous conditions. Temperatures will be 10 to 15 degrees below average in parts of the Plains, to the Ohio Valley and the mid-Atlantic, the National Weather Service said.

An Arctic blast swept through northern states Sunday, bringing dangerous conditions to the northern Plains, the Midwest and the Great Lakes, on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

A ban on buses, commercial trucks and tractor-trailer trucks ended at 2 a.m. ET, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on X.

Tom Szczerbacki removes snow from his home Sunday in Hamburg, New York.John Normile / Getty Images

State police in lifesaving rescue

A 64-year-old woman who had set off for a heart transplant operation had to be rescued by New York State Troopers after getting stranded on a snowy highway. The woman was being driven by her husband from Rochester to Cleveland for the critical procedure, her heart kept going by a battery-powered pump. The husband was able to contact a nurse in Cleveland who raised the alarm with state police.

The troopers took her to a local hospital before she was flown to Cleveland for the transplant.

“The actions of the Troopers, medical staff, and transportation teams highlight how critical teamwork and quick thinking can save lives, even in the face of severe weather conditions,” New York State Police said in a statement.

During winter weather from Thanksgiving through Sunday, the agency said it assisted 111 disabled vehicles, and investigated 82 property damage collisions and seven personal injury collisions.

The Southeast isn’t spared from the cold snap: A freeze warning affects 3 million people across northern Florida and southern Georgia, with temperatures of around 33 degrees Fahrenheit in Tallahassee well below the seasonal average.

Record travel holiday weekend

The Thanksgiving weekend looks set to have broken records for traveler numbers, with 2.8 million setting out Saturday, according to the TSA — a million more than the same day in 2023.

Lines of traffic were so long at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport on Sunday that people traveling back home after visiting loved ones were seen walking from toll booths to terminals. The airport said on X late Sunday that the traffic situation had improved but still advised travelers to allow extra time for their trip.

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