At O’Hare airport in Chicago, Don Herrian, 76, awaited his flight back to Oklahoma after visiting family in Indianapolis for thanksgiving. His initial flight was three hours late, and his connecting flight in Chicago was further delayed by two hours due to the snowstorm.
FlightAware reported 12,113 flight delays and 1,424 cancellations nationwide on 29-30/11, a peak travel period following thanksgiving, all attributed to the snowstorm. Airports in Chicago, new york, boston, des moines, fort lauderdale, and detroit were among the most severely affected by the storm.
Des Moines airport in Iowa temporarily ceased operations after a delta connection aircraft skidded off the runway upon landing from detroit due to icy conditions. All 54 passengers were safe and transported to the terminal by bus. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently investigating the incident.
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A Delta Connection aircraft carrying 54 people skidded off the runway in Des Moines, Iowa, on 29/11. Photo: ABC
O’Hare airport recorded over 21 cm of snow on 29/11, marking the highest november accumulation ever and surpassing the previous record of 20 cm from 1951.
By the evening of 30/11, approximately 300 flights were canceled and 1,600 were delayed at O’Hare. Other major airports, including Ronald Reagan Washington and Minneapolis–Saint Paul, implemented aircraft de-icing procedures.
Michigan experienced over 30 cm of snowfall, prompting hundreds of churches to advise congregants to stay home. Wisconsin reported over 6,000 power outages. In detroit, more than 400 flights were delayed and over 45 flights were canceled by the evening of 30/11.
The widespread snowstorm across Colorado and the US Midwest led to numerous road accidents. In Indiana, heavy snowfall caused a 45-vehicle pileup on interstate 70. Colorado police documented two multi-vehicle collisions involving more than 50 vehicles in just 15 minutes, both attributed to slippery roads and poor visibility.
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Snow covers O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on 30/11. Photo: AP
The US aviation industry also faced disruptions as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandated a recall of thousands of Airbus A320 aircraft for software updates. This requirement led JetBlue to cancel about 170 flights, representing 7% of its 30/11 schedule, to update software for its A320 and A321 fleets. Spirit and Frontier confirmed their affected aircraft were updated over the weekend.
While the great lakes region saw diminishing snowfall, the US meteorological agency warned of a new storm forming. This new system could bring up to 30 cm of snow to the northeastern US on 2/12, further prolonging the chaotic travel period following thanksgiving.
At O’Hare airport, Will Barney, 25, noted his flight had been delayed three times. "Thanksgiving, then snow, then traffic. Luckily, the government didn't shut down again", he said, searching for a temporary seat in the terminal corridor.
Thanh Danh (According to AP, CBS, ABC)
