Portland, Maine — Black ice, snow showers and fog troubled post-holiday travelers in the Midwest Monday as the Northeast braced for its first major snowstorm of the season.
More than 8 inches (20.32 cm) of snow fell at Chicago O’Hare International Airport this weekend, setting a record for the highest snowfall in a single calendar day in November at the airport, according to the National Weather Service. The previous record was set in 1951.
About 300 flights to and from O’Hare were canceled by early Sunday evening, while about 1,600 flights were delayed, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. Dozens of flights remained canceled or delayed as of Monday, and road conditions are expected to remain dangerous in some areas until Monday night.
In the Northeast, some parts of northern New England are expected to get up to 10 inches (25.4 cm) of snow. Meteorologists said that a possible snow storm is heading towards the region and could submerge some parts of the six states in the region while snow accumulates in other areas.
The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories for Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.
With snow expected to cover large parts of Pennsylvania, crews began treating trails along the 565-mile (909-kilometer) Pennsylvania Turnpike system on Monday, said Marissa Urbanek, the agency’s press secretary. Vehicle restrictions will be in place on several highways in the eastern half of Pennsylvania, including the northeastern extension of the Turnpike system, from the Lehigh Valley to Clarks Peak, at 5 a.m. Tuesday.
More than 600 equipment operators and safety workers are available to help clear the 2,900 miles (4,667 kilometers) of trails, Urbanek said. The main road’s winter staffing schedule began in mid-November, and 23 sheds are being prepared for around-the-clock maintenance.
“We really prepare for snow all year long,” Urbanek said.
In Chicago, Don Herian was among the throngs of travelers at O’Hare on Sunday, hoping to return home after Thanksgiving as hundreds of flights were delayed and canceled after… Winter storm In the Great Lakes region.
The 76-year-old retiree from Ardmore, Oklahoma, had visited his daughter and her family in Indianapolis. He said his first flight was delayed by three hours, and his connecting flight from Chicago to Oklahoma City was delayed by another two hours.
“That’s what it is,” Herian said. “It’s busy, but that’s to be expected due to the snow, delays and holidays.”
Roads leading to O’Hare were crowded Sunday with slow-moving vehicles even after the roads were cleared of snow. Inside, late travelers gathered in gate seating areas, restaurants and sports bars to pass the time. Others took up places on station floors, eating snacks, knitting, or scrolling through their phones.
Planes were de-iced at several airports across the country on Sunday, including Washington’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
High winds in Iowa on Sunday brought snow to roads again, worsening dangerous travel conditions, the National Weather Service said.
“We have areas in Iowa and Illinois that saw more than a foot of snow,” meteorologist Andrew Orrison said.
Snow in the Great Lakes region is easing, but a new storm is heading into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with up to 30 centimeters of snow falling by Tuesday, Orrison said.
“This will be the first snowfall of the season in many of these areas, and it will be fairly significant,” Orrison said. “The good news is that at this point it doesn’t look like major cities will see any significant snowfall.”
The National Weather Service issued a warning for the Maine coast from Tuesday morning through Wednesday morning, saying residents should “delay all travel if possible” due to the snow.
In New Hampshire, the Department of Transportation on Sunday invited residents to submit names for its second annual “Name the Plow” competition.
“Welcome to the Seven Snowplows division. We have a wintery twist on a classic tale. Hawthorne had the Gables. We have orange snowplows just waiting for the perfect name,” management said on social media.
The top name of the last winner is Ctrl-Salt-Delete. This season’s winners will be announced in January.
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A partner reported from Chicago. Associated Press reporters Jamie Stengel in Dallas, Mark Sulforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and photojournalist Nam Wai Huh in Chicago contributed to this report.