Travelers queue up to pass through the south security checkpoint in Denver International Airport after a winter storm swept over the country packing snow combined with Arctic cold, which created chaos for people trying to reach their destinations before the Christmas holiday, Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, in Denver.
Associated Press
A winter storm swept the United States plunging temperatures below freezing.
Airlines have had to cancel or delay nearly 10,000 flights this holiday weekend.
FlightAware's MiseryMap shows the airports with the most cancellations and delays.
Airlines have had to cancel or delay nearly 10,000 flights this holiday weekend so far after a winter storm surged across the United States and plunged temperatures to below-freezing nationwide.
Airlines canceled more than 300 flights at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport on Friday due to the severe weather, according to The Detroit News.
"I know our experience isn't as bad compared to others, but I panicked thinking we weren't going to make it for Christmas," Marybeth Salowich, 62, told the outlet. "Once we arrived here early, my son was panicking as he had to keep circling around the airport in the snow and then drive home while we stayed put for our luggage."
Weather conditions reached "blizzard" level for the first time in a decade in Michigan on Wednesday with snowfalls reaching up to 10 to 18 inches in some areas, according to WOOD.
Air temperatures are still in the low to single digits in Detroit, according to WDIV. Temperatures are expected to have "modest improvement" Saturday afternoon with highs in the mid-teens, the outlet reported.
The airport said on Twitter that customers should still check the status of their flight before heading to the airport even though conditions have gotten better in the area.
O'Hare International Airport (ODR) in Chicago, Illinois, where dangerous wind chill temps have hitTravelers arrive at Terminal 3 at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.
Associated Press
Delays were taking as long as two hours on Saturday morning for people at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago two get to their flight gates because the airport's train system stopped working, according to WGN. People have been waiting in long lines
The Chicago Department of Aviation told WGN that the Airport Transit System went down on Thursday and was not operational until Saturday morning because of the extreme weather.
Temperatures in Chicago were below 0 degrees Fahrenheit for 29 hours before they began to rise early Saturday morning, according to The Chicago Tribune. Still, winds are expected to reach 40 miles per hour with wind chills of -25 to -30 degrees Fahrenheit below in Chicago on Saturday, the outlet reported.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) in Minnesota where the state is expected to face both blizzard conditions and deadly wind chillTravelers wait in line to go through security in Terminal 1 at Minneapolis St. Paul Airport, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022, in Minneapolis.
Associated Press
CBS Minnesota reported significant lines and wait times for people at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Thursday after the city got more than eight inches of snow. The FAA issued a "Ground Stop" at the airport on Wednesday night, keeping planes from flying into or out of the airport, the outlet reported.
"The weather is that unknown factor," MSP spokesman Jeff Lea told CBS Minnesota. "We sort of have a general range of what may happen, but what will happen remains to be seen."
Roads began to reopen in south Minnesota on Saturday when temperatures started to rise after Gov. Tim Walz state had declared a state of emergency due to blizzard-like conditions, according to KMSP.
Denver International Airport (DEN) in Colorado, where residents have been preparing for an artic blastTravelers queue up to check in at the Southwest Airlines counter in Denver International Airport after a winter storm swept over the country packing snow combined with Arctic cold, which created chaos for people trying to reach their destinations before the Christmas holiday, Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, in Denver.
Associated Press
Southwest Airlines is under a "state of operations emergency at the Denver airport, the airline said on Saturday morning according to KDVR. There have been more than 200 flight delays and more than 100 cancellations at the airport, KDVR reported.
Temperatures have been below 0 degrees Fahrenheit in Denver for the last 42 hours, according to KDVR, but temps are expected to rise into the 50s by December 25.
Airlines canceled more than 100 flights and more than 600 were delayed at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday, according to WXIA. Nearly 2 million people are expected to travel through the airport during the holiday weekend, the outlet reported.
"I'm hopefully waiting here for my flight to go home. Hopefully," Christopher Fulton, a man who said his flight home to Tampa, Florida had been delayed three times, told WXIA.
Wind chills were as low as -20 F on Friday in Atlanta with a wind chill advisory in effect for the city and high-wind warnings for surrounding counties, according to WXIA.