Winter Storm Affected 60% Of US Population

The winter storm that affected our area also hit much of the United States and continued to impact holiday travel on the day after Christmas.

Nearly 3,000 flights within, into or out of the U.S. had already been canceled by Monday afternoon, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Meanwhile, over 4,800 flights had been delayed.

A photo shared on Twitter showed over a thousand pieces of luggage filling the entire baggage area at Chicago’s Midway Airport where hundreds of flights their were delayed or canceled. A scene that was experienced by travelers all over the eastern US.

On Christmas Day, over 10,000 flights in the US were either delayed or canceled.

It was estimated that 60% of the US population was under some sort of watch, warning or advisory associated with the winter storm.

As of Monday, December 26, 2022, the storm was responsible for 48 deaths, but that number is expected to climb as heavy snow and winds have trapped people in homes in the eastern great lakes area without power.

The City of Buffalo, New York was hit especially hard as hurricane-force winds and snow caused whiteout conditions that paralyzed emergency response efforts.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said almost every fire truck in the city was stranded Saturday and asked residents Sunday to respect an ongoing driving ban in the region.

The National Weather Service said the snow total at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport stood at 43 inches from the storm.