A winter storm blanketed much of the central Midwest with snow on Sunday at the end of the Thanksgiving weekend, bringing blizzard-like conditions that grounded hundreds of flights and forced the closure of major highways on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
“It’s going to be messy,” said Todd Kluber, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service who is based in suburban Chicago.
With much of the central Plains and Great Lakes region under blizzard or winter storm warnings, about 1,200 flights headed to or from the U.S. had been canceled as of Sunday evening, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.
Most were supposed to be routed through Chicago or Kansas City, Mo. — areas forecast to be hit hard by the storm.
Strong winds and snow created blizzard conditions across much of Nebraska and parts of Kansas, Iowa and Missouri. The National Weather Service was warning that those conditions would make travel difficult in places.
By midday, the blizzard warning was extended to parts of eastern Illinois near Chicago, where snow is forecast to fall at a rate of about 2 inches an hour.
Other parts of the central Plains and Great Lakes region were under a winter storm warning that could see a foot or more of snow dumped in some places by the end of the day.
In eastern Nebraska, part of Interstate 80 between Lincoln and Omaha was closed Sunday morning because of multiple accidents after snow blanketed that area. That included semitrailer trucks jackknifed across the highway. It was reopened by Sunday afternoon.
In Kansas, Gov. Jeff Colyer issued a state of emergency declaration. The action came as a large stretch of Interstate 70, spanning much of the state, was closed between Junction City and WaKeeney.
in Missouri, a portion of Interstate 29 was shut down near the Iowa border.
As much as a foot was expected in Chicago. Four to 6 inches of snow was expected in the Kansas City area. Forecasters predict more than a foot of snow is likely in southeastern Nebraska, northeastern Kansas, northwestern Missouri and southwestern Iowa.
By Monday morning, the storm was expected to hit parts of northern Indiana and southern Michigan.
Kluber said that the storm was expected to hit the Chicago region Sunday night and that rain will give way to heavy snowfall and “near whiteout conditions” that will make for dangerous travel.
PETE Davidson and Colin Jost’s Staten Island Ferry wreaked havoc on the New York City Marathon and caused major delays for runners, a source has said.
The U.S. Sun can exclusively reveal that the massive ship’s trip through the waters between Staten Island and Brooklyn to display a Nike ad during the New York Marathon created issues for anxious racers on Sunday, November 2.
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Colin Jost and Pete Davidson’s JFK Staten Island Ferry caused delays for anxious marathon runners waiting to get to the start of the big race on Sunday, The U.S. Sun learnedCredit: GettyThe JFK Ferry was tugged into the waters near the Verrazano Bridge from its slip in Staten IslandCredit: Courtesy of Weiden + Kennedy
“Pete and Colin’s ferry caused a delay for runners taking the ferry to Staten Island for the start of the marathon,” a source claimed.
“Some people thought it was a joke but it wasn’t,” the insider continued.
Runners waiting at Pier 79 in Manhattan to get to Colin and Pete’s native Staten Island for the start of the marathon grew irritated as workers told them they were delayed due to the JFK Staten Island Ferry’s troubles in the harbor.
The Saturday Night Live co-stars ferry, which had been painted bright pink for the Nike advertisement, was tugged from its dock in Staten Island.
“The runners’ ferries were leaving about 20 minutes later than they should’ve, and they were told there were issues with Staten Island helping the guys out with the ferry. It was causing a backup on the river.
“Everyone was already anxious so it was a bit frustrating.”
The U.S. Sun reached out to a rep for the JFK Ferry for comment.
ROUGH RIDE
In photos exclusively obtained by The U.S. Sun last month, the ferry was seen painted bright pink with a hint of the Nike logo in its dock in Staten Island.
The massive vessel looked rusted and rotted in its slip, appearing far from the upscale entertainment venue the Saturday Night Live stars had envisioned.
From one vantage point, the famous ferry’s orange paint had faded to a faint pink after being left unattended on the salty water under the hot sun.
The ship’s sides showed extensive rusting and what seem to be saltwater stains beneath the windows.
In photos previously obtained by The U.S. Sun, the JFK Staten Island Ferry looked worse for wear last month, with its hull covered in rust and its once orange paint job a faded pinkCredit: Abesea Images for The U.S. SunIn the photos, the ferry seemed to have a paint mullet job, as one side looked decrepit and the other was painted bright pink with the Nike ad peeping out from behind tarpsCredit: Abesea Images for The U.S. Sun
The opposite side of the decommissioned New York City Department of Transportation vessel showed the bright pink paint job with the Nike logo peeking out from behind giant tarps.
The comedians have been racking up huge docking fees for the boat they hoped to transform, but they also have unpaid legal bills, according to a lawsuit filed in New York against their company, Titanic 2.
The suit claims an outstanding bill of $13,000 is owed to the law firm Nicoletti, Hornig, Namazi, Eckert & Sheehan.
The ship’s last public sighting before the marathon was when it was used for the Tommy Hilfiger show during New York Fashion Week in September 2024.
A video posted to the fashion house’s Instagram showed the ferry wrapped in their signature red, white, and blue logo, docked in New York’s harbor with the Statue of Liberty in the background, before it was docked for the event.
“We do have, believe it or not, an in-depth plan,” Pete told the Wall Street Journal at the time. “Every day I get asked about this f***ing boat, and we’re raising the funds.
“We’re going to do a floor at a time. There’s a full plan in motion, and meanwhile, people are renting it out.”
The ferry was indeed rented for the Tommy Hilfiger show (which Colin Jost attended, though Pete did not) and also served as the set for a horror film, Steamboat Willie.
The ship’s planned renovation has faced numerous delays over the last three years.
FRIENDSHIP ON THE ROCKS
Once close friends and SNL castmates, Pete and Colin’s relationship soured in 2024 amid Pete’s personal struggles.
“Something big happened and Colin is now refusing to be in the same building, let alone the same room as Pete,” an insider exclusively told The U.S. Sun at the time.
“Colin doesn’t want to be associated with Pete.”
The pair were seen shaking hands when Pete made a cameo on SNL in November 2024, but the interaction was visibly tense.
Pete seemed to hint at his rumored rift with Colin when discussing his friend and fellow comedian, John Mulaney, and the few friends who have remained loyal.
“I watched him as he took it on the chin a couple of years ago and had to completely revamp his life,” Pete said in the WSJ interview.
“I’m kind of in the midst of that now, and he’s been helping me so much. It was so inspiring to watch him beat his addiction, become an even bigger comedian, go on an arena tour, start a family.
“He’s so happy now and it looks effortless, but it’s not.”
He concluded by naming his closest confidants: “And I’ve got to say, he’s always had my back and he’s always there, and not a lot of people are for me. I would say it’s just him, Lorne [Michaels] and Machine Gun Kelly.”
The ferry’s voyage to display a massive Nike ad caused delays for anxious runners at the NYC Marathon on SundayCredit: Courtesy of Weiden + KennedyColin was on the ferry for NYFW in 2024, Pete was notably absent from the eventCredit: Getty
