The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Snowiest part of winter storm still to come as temperatures plunge

Travelers at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Dec. 22.
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Updated December 22, 2022 at 8:29 p.m. EST|Published December 22, 2022 at 6:47 a.m. EST
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As a wicked winter storm continues to blast much of the country, snow has started to move into parts of the Midwest. In Chicago, snow is forecast to be heavy at times for the rest of Thursday and into the night. The forecast to the east is more dire: For Buffalo, a combination of factors could bring a blizzard for the ages.

In many areas of the East, temperatures will drop suddenly through Friday, leading to a flash freeze and treacherous roads in some areas. And still, the dangerously snowy and windy part of this storm is just beginning.

Across the country, travelers are weary, with plans upended during the busy week for holiday travel. By Thursday afternoon, nearly 3,600 flights within, into or out of the United States scheduled for that day and Friday had been canceled, leaving many stranded travelers attempting to rebook their journeys.

Here’s what to know:

  • President Biden urged the nation to “heed local warnings” about the storm. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) urged residents to hunker down and scrap travel plans.
  • By Friday morning, many major population centers will face punishing wind chills from the Midwest to the South, including: minus-40 in Des Moines; minus-35 in Denver and Minneapolis; minus-30 in Chicago, Kansas City and St. Louis; minus-20 in Oklahoma City, Little Rock and Memphis; minus-10 in Dallas, Cleveland and Detroit; and single digits in Houston and Atlanta.
  • Here are six maps that show the severity of the Arctic blast and winter storm.
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Here's what to know:

President Biden urged the nation to “heed local warnings” about the storm. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) urged residents to hunker down and scrap travel plans.
By Friday morning, many major population centers will face punishing wind chills from the Midwest to the South, including: minus-40 in Des Moines; minus-35 in Denver and Minneapolis; minus-30 in Chicago, Kansas City and St. Louis; minus-20 in Oklahoma City, Little Rock and Memphis; minus-10 in Dallas, Cleveland and Detroit; and single digits in Houston and Atlanta.
Here are six maps that show the severity of the Arctic blast and winter storm.

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