DALLAS (AP) — More than 8,000 flights across the U.S. set to take off over the weekend have been canceled as a major storm is expected to wreak havoc across much of the country, threatening to knock out power for days and snarl major roadways. Roughly 140 million people were under a winter storm warning from New Mexico to New England. The National Weather Service forecast warns of widespread heavy snow and a band of catastrophic ice stretching from east Texas to North Carolina.
Forecasters say damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival that of a hurricane. By Friday night, the edge of the storm was sending freezing rain and sleet into parts of Texas while snow and sleet were falling in Oklahoma. After sweeping through the South, the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about a foot (30 centimeters) of snow from Washington through New York and Boston, predicted the weather service.
Governors in more than a dozen states sounded the alarm about the turbulent weather ahead, declaring emergencies or urging people to stay home. More than 3,400 flights were delayed or canceled Saturday, according to FlightAware, with predictions of even more cancellations for Sunday. Utility companies are bracing for power outages, and federal aid is being prepped for response post-storm.
Forecasters say damage, especially in areas pounded by ice, could rival that of a hurricane. By Friday night, the edge of the storm was sending freezing rain and sleet into parts of Texas while snow and sleet were falling in Oklahoma. After sweeping through the South, the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about a foot (30 centimeters) of snow from Washington through New York and Boston, predicted the weather service.
Governors in more than a dozen states sounded the alarm about the turbulent weather ahead, declaring emergencies or urging people to stay home. More than 3,400 flights were delayed or canceled Saturday, according to FlightAware, with predictions of even more cancellations for Sunday. Utility companies are bracing for power outages, and federal aid is being prepped for response post-storm.
