For the second time in a week, airlines have grounded hundreds of flights in preparation for a massive winter storm forecast to hit areas from "Texas to New England," CNBC reports.
Per flight-tracking website FlightAware, over 1,400 U.S. flights were canceled on Wednesday, as well as nearly 1,700 that were scheduled for Thursday, CNBC notes. Airlines such as Southwest, American, Delta, and United "said they would waive fare differences for travelers who plan to rebook flights because of the storm."
Even Amtrak opted to modify service through the Midwest and the South as a result of the wintry conditions, The New York Times reports. Not that driving, of course, is any better — in Illinois, for example, the state's transportation department warned of "potential for extremely dangerous and, at times, life-threatening travel" on highways, per the Times.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"The storm will be prolonged, with several rounds of winter weather lasting through Thursday for portions of the central U.S. before shifting to the interior Northeast," the National Weather Service has said, per The Washington Post.
Flooding is also a possibility in the Deep South, notes the Post, as isolated storms forecast for Thursday blow across "southeast Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southwest Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, with a nonzero risk of a tornado." Forecasters are also worried about ice, adds the Times.
-
October 15 editorial cartoonsCartoons Wednesday's political cartoons include new DOJ lawyers, trick or treating with ICE, and shaky foundations for peace
-
The Paul Thomas Anderson films to watch nextThe Week Recommends Best movies from the director of One Battle After Another
-
Who are the new-wave hackers bringing the world to a halt?The Explainer ‘Groups’ and ‘states’ are beginning to form concerning partnerships with new ways to commit cybercrime
-
Renewables top coal as Trump seeks reversalSpeed Read For the first time, renewable energy sources generated more power than coal, said a new report
-
China vows first emissions cut, sidelining USSpeed Read The US, the world’s No. 2 emitter, did not attend the New York summit
-
At least 800 dead in Afghanistan earthquakespeed read A magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit a mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan
-
Massive earthquake sends tsunami across PacificSpeed Read Hundreds of thousands of people in Japan and Hawaii were told to evacuate to higher ground
-
FEMA Urban Search and Rescue chief resignsSpeed Read Ken Pagurek has left the organization, citing 'chaos'
-
Wildfires destroy historic Grand Canyon lodgeSpeed Read Dozens of structures on the North Rim have succumbed to the Dragon Bravo Fire
-
Search for survivors continues after Texas floodsSpeed Read A total of 82 people are confirmed dead, including 28 children
-
EPA is reportedly killing Energy Star programspeed read The program for energy-efficient home appliances has saved consumers billions in energy costs since its 1992 launch
