More than 1,000 U.S.-based flights have been canceled as of Wednesday morning. Further delays and disruptions are expected as 19 states face winter storm warnings.
The blizzard conditions are just beginning and snowfall is expected to last through Thursday. Minnesota and Wisconsin could accumulate as much as 24 inches of snow. Freezing rain is another threat, along with temperatures that could feel as low as 50 degrees below zero.
Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan are facing ice storm warnings.
Travel disruptions are likely to continue as airlines try to avoid the scheduling crisis that affected Southwest last December.
The Minneapolis area is supposed to be one of the hardest hit regions of the country. The Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport could shut down completely depending on how severe the area is hit by the late winter blast.
