A “significant winter storm with heavy snow, blizzard conditions and potentially damaging icing” struck the north-central region of the country and is expected to continue to cause holiday travel woes through early Wednesday.
More than 550,000 people across five states are under a blizzard warning through 5 a.m. local time Wednesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said Tuesday, as heavy snow has accumulated in Nebraska, Colorado and three other states under the winter warnings.
Because of the blizzard conditions, NWS has warned people in affected areas to avoid the roads.
“Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you,” the federal agency warned. “If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle.”
Nebraska State Patrol reported responding to “well over 100 weather-related incidents” on Christmas.
According to flight-tracking service FlightAware, nearly 4,200 flights across the U.S. have been delayed or canceled as of Tuesday.