Delta Air Lines

Dec. 29 (UPI) — A winter storm is hitting the Midwest with strong winds, snow, ice and canceled flights expected.

A winter rainstorm is happening in the northeast and the south. In Massachusetts and Maine, that rain could turn to freezing rain.

As of 3 p.m. EST Monday, about 1,231 flights had been canceled in the United States, and more than 23,393 others were delayed, according to FlightAware.

Delta Air Lines showed the highest number of affected flights, with 3% (128 flights) canceled, and 15% (507) flights delayed.

Buffalo Niagara International Airport had the highest number of outbound flights canceled at 48% (47 flights). The Buffalo, N.Y., area could see 1 to 3 feet of snow this week, and wind gusts up to 65 mph could create whiteout conditions.

Storms capable of creating blizzard conditions with near-hurricane-force winds in the Great Lakes will hit Monday night and bring cold temperatures to the Midwest and Northeast, Accuweather reported. The storms will also bring colder temps to the southern states.

In Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, wind gusts of up to 45 mph are predicted, ABC News reported.

Gusts up to 65 mph are possible in Ohio, Michigan and parts of Pennsylvania.

There will also be lake-effect snow and clipper storms, which could make travel dangerous in the Midwest and Northeast.

Parts of Iowa, Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan are under a blizzard warning, and the areas are facing whiteout conditions. Minneapolis had a winter weather advisory Monday morning due to blowing snow.

East Champion, Mich., in the upper peninsula, has seen 24 inches of snow in the past 24 hours, the National Weather Service reported.

In the Northeast, the main danger Monday morning was ice. There is an ice storm warning in effect in New York and Vermont, where forecasters expect 0.4 to 0.7 inches of ice. That amount can bring down trees and powerlines, as well as make roads extremely dangerous. Rain, including possible freezing rain, will be affecting Boston and Maine on Monday afternoon.

Lake-effect snow is expected to continue around the Great Lakes throughout the week.

Dec. 26 (UPI) — Winter Storm Devin is slowing road traffic and impacting flights amid post-holiday travel in the Great Lakes and Northeast, while torrential rain and localized flooding are affecting travel in California.

Airlines for America estimated a record 52.6 million airline passengers from Dec. 19 through Jan. 5, with Friday and Saturday seeing the most, CNBC reported.

The record number of flight passengers means a large number of passengers will be affected by flight cancellations and delays due to the stormy weather.

A total of 5,902 flights were delayed and 1,865 canceled so far at U.S. airports as of 5 p.m. EST on Friday, according to FlightAware.

The airport affected the most is John F. Kennedy International, with 153 outbound flights canceled and 143 delayed, and another 220 inbound flights canceled and 67 delayed and affecting about 45% of inbound and outbound flights.

Newark Liberty International in New Jersey has 104 outbound flights canceled and 163 delayed, and 140 inbound flights are canceled and 98 delayed.

New York City’s LaGuardia Airport also has a significant number of flights impacted, with 87 outbound flights canceled and 97 delayed, and 153 inbound flights canceled and 43 delayed.

The airlines most impacted are Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Republic and Southwest, but virtually all airlines have scheduled flights affected, so travelers are advised to check well ahead and watch for updates before traveling to respective airports.

AAA earlier forecast 109.5 million people would travel more than 50 miles by car to reach their holiday destinations over Christmas, millions of whom could encounter very poor driving conditions while heading home.

Snow, sleet and freezing rain in the Northeast and Great Lakes have triggered an ice storm warning in central and western Pennsylvania, while southern New York and the Tri-State area are subject to a winter storm warning into Saturday.

Stormy weather also continues in Southern California and along the West Coast, with heavy rainfall causing flooding, mudslides and debris flows in low-lying areas and snowstorms at higher elevations.