Arctic blast of Midwest cold, snow disrupts holiday travel | Travel

The cold front, which has dumped several feet of snow and plunged temperatures in some areas below -30F (-34C), with the wind chill, has battered the region during one of the busiest US travel weekends. Snowfall hit 46 inches in Barnes Corner and Copenhagen, New York by Saturday morning. Also read | US travelers forced to plan very short holiday trips because of this reason

A record-setting 80 million people were forecast to travel between Nov. 26 and Dec. 2, mostly by car and plane, according to the auto association AAA.

Winter storm warnings were in effect for parts of the region, and severe weather is expected to continue through Monday, with snow then returning later in the week, the center said. Also read | Thanksgiving Travel: Airport strike, staff shortages and weather could impact holiday travel

Flights delayed

Newark Liberty International Airport reported 99 delayed flights and five cancellations on Sunday, according to data from FlightAware, while at Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, more than a quarter of all flights were on the “Misery Map” of cancellations and delays.

More than 2.7 million people throughout the US went through airport checkpoints on Thanksgiving eve, a 40% increase from the year before, the Transportation Security Administration reported. Also read | Snowstorms hit US ahead of holiday rush, freezing conditions expected to worsen