Winter storm slams Midwest, causing chaos for post-Thanksgiving travel

A major winter storm blasted parts of the Midwest and the Central US this weekend with heavy snowfall, causing travel nightmares for millions of people as they return home from Thanksgiving plans.

Over 1,000 flights to and from Chicago airports were canceled in 24 hours, with more disruptions expected through this weekend. Flights to O’Hare were delayed on average by five hours on Saturday.

Major crashes were reported throughout the Central US on Saturday, including a 45-car pile-up that shut down I-70 near Vigo County, Indiana.

Winter Storm Warnings stretched across most of the Upper Midwest, covering areas from South Dakota and Nebraska to Ohio and Indiana through Sunday.

Scenes like this semi-truck rolling over in Putnam County, Indiana continued from the “terrible” snowy conditions, per the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.

Chicago and Milwaukee are likely to see 8-12 inches of snow, with some places in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin potentially seeing more than a foot of snow by Sunday. 

The Iowa State Patrol reported 182 crashes and 488 motorist assists from the winter storm due to snow on highways.

A ground stop was issued by the Federal Aviation Administration at both Midway and O’Hare due to deteriorating weather conditions on Saturday, halting flights at the major travel hub.

“Chicago is by far the worst airport in the country when it comes to travel disruptions today,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Jane Minar said.

In Springfield, Illinois, a Snow Emergency was declared through 8 a.m. CT on Sunday.

Significant snowfall was recorded across parts of Iowa on Saturday, with between 3 and 5 inches reported in central Iowa cities.

Most of Iowa could see upward of a foot of snow by Sunday morning, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

Iowa Department of Transportation traffic maps showed major interstates across most of the state fully covered in snow, and warned that travelers should be ready to change their plans to hit the roads.

A series of interstate highways across the Midwest have been affected by the major snowstorm in Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois.

Snow-covered highways in the St. Louis area led to multiple crashes and stalled vehicles, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. 

The St. Louis metro area reported between 3 and 5 inches of snow on Saturday. 

Major airport hubs like Chicago O’Hare and Midway, Milwaukee Mitchell International, Minneapolis-St. Paul International and Detroit Metropolitan are likely to see flight disruptions through the weekend.

By Monday, travel troubles should ease up as conditions improve across the country.

Stay with FOX Weather for extended live coverage tracking the major snowstorm through the weekend.