Photo via Weather.com/Twitter
Travel could be dangerous on Wednesday for those from the Southern Plains to the East Coast of the U.S. as the final phase of Winter Storm Thor brings snow, sleet and freezing rain to the region.
According to Weather.com, the second phase of Thor brought wintry weather to parts of the Midwest and Northeast on Tuesday.
The troublesome conditions resulted in more than 1,300 canceled flights nationwide Tuesday as of 4:30 p.m. ET, according to FlightAware.com. A majority of those cancellations came at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, which reported 417 cancellations and 595 delays as of this writing.
Philadelphia International, Newark Liberty and LaGuardia were also heavily impacted on Tuesday.
Nearly 200 flights were canceled in Philly, with another 130-plus having been delayed. Newark and LaGuardia had each reported well over 100 cancellations as well as of Tuesday afternoon.
As for what's to come, Detroit Metro Airport has already canceled more than 40 flights scheduled for Wednesday, with LaGuardia proactively cancelling 16 outbound flights for Wednesday as well.
On Wednesday, "the arctic front will gradually push to the south and east" before "an active jet stream and moisture will intercept" it, according to Weather.com. As a result, "a change to snow, sleet or freezing rain is forecast to occur in a swath from the Mid-Atlantic states westward to the Ohio Valley, Tennessee Valley, Lower Mississippi Valley and the Southern Plains."
The rapid decline in temperatures in these places could make wet roads icy and dangerous for drivers.
The band of wintry weather will continue eastward into Wednesday night, with possible snowfall potentially making for a messy commute along the busy I-95 corridor on Thursday, as pointed out by the Weather Channel on Twitter:
While snowfall totals could surpass a foot in some parts of the Ohio Valley, dangerous driving conditions and widespread flight delays and cancellations will continue to be the biggest concern for travelers.
That said, travelers should not only keep a close eye on the latest weather forecast, but plan ahead and exercise caution.
As always, air travelers are encouraged to stay updated on their flight status:
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