Winter storm brings foot of snow to midwest over busiest US travel weekend

A Thanksgiving weekend storm system brought over a foot of snow and strong winds across the US midwest and thunderstorms across the south, as 53 million people from South Dakota to New York were under winter weather alerts.Over the weekend, ahead of one of the busiest travel days of the year on Sunday, a 45-car pile-up occurred on interstate 78 in Indiana and a Delta Air Lines plane skidded off the runway in Des Moines, Iowa, during landing.No serious injuries were reported from the car pile-up in Indiana, which was reported around 11.30am local time on Saturday, according to Indiana state police.“Folks, if you can stay home, stay home,” said Sergeant Matt Ames. “People just need to drive smart when the snow starts falling, reduce your speed, make sure you’re buckled up, and let’s just all be safe out there.”Des Moines airport recorded 10.9in (28cm) of snow through midnight on Sunday, the highest two-day snowfall for Des Moines since January 2024. No injuries were reported from the plane incident, which is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration.A plow clears snow from the road on Saturday in Chicago, Illinois. Photograph: Kiichiro Sato/APSeveral areas of Iowa reported over a foot of snow on Saturday, with parts of Illinois, including Chicago, recording 5in and counting.More than 4,600 flights within, into or out of the United States were delayed on Sunday, with 576 cancelled flights, according to FlightAware.com. Over 25% of delays were to or from Chicago’s O’Hare international airport.A total of 8.4in of snow was recorded on Saturday at Chicago’s O’Hare international airport, setting a new record for the snowiest November day in Chicago.Illinois state police reported nearly 500 auto crashes in the Chicago area on Saturday, with 66 incidents involving injuries.Parts of the US east coast are expected to experience cold rain from mid-morning to the early evening hours, with possible travel impacts in several cities including Cleveland; Buffalo, New York; Philadelphia; Washington DC; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Atlanta.