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Winter Storm Slams East Coast, Makes Thanksgiving Travel a Nightmare
It's ugly out there. And it's only getting uglier.
Tuesday has been a mess for much of the East Coast. A massive storm that started in California soaked a huge swath from Florida to New England, with snow and sleet falling in pockets of Pennsylvania and New York, CNN Meteorologist Indra Petersons reports the latest.
This system isn't going away anytime soon. In fact, it could cause even more problems and headaches on Wednesday, especially if you are among the thousands at airports waiting and waiting and waiting to fly home for Thanksgiving.
That's because winds are forecast to pick up and sock densely populated places in the Northeast in the next day or so.
For drivers, big gusts mixed with drenching rains can slow things down any day. For air travelers, there is always a big trickle-down effect when places like New York's LaGuardia and Kennedy airports or those in Philadelphia and Boston experience wind delays.
According to flight tracker websites this morning, Roughly 200 flights have been canceled nationwide, with about 120 delays at this hour, reports CNN's Rene Marsh. (SEE VIDEO BELOW)\
Holiday Havoc, Winter Storm Threatens Thanksgiving Travel
A wintery storm system–that's quickly moving East–has killed at least 12 people. Millions of Americans are now in the crosshairs. And it’s threatening to make getting to your Thanksgiving destination very difficult.
Hundreds of flights were canceled over the weekend. Even more could be impacted in the next 48 hours.
Tracking the storm, CNN Meteorologist Indra Petersons says strong winds in the East will cause air traffic delays Wednesday and even Thursday.
Massive Storm System
The wicked wintry weather that pummeled the West Coast is now barreling across the country, threatening to ruin millions of holiday travel plans just before Thanksgiving. CNN Meteorologist Indra Petersons has the forecast.
More than 300 flights have already been canceled in the Dallas-Fort Worth area - not exactly a bastion for snow storms. Sleet and freezing rain will keep blanketing parts of the Southern Plains and Southern Rockies on Monday.
"It's going to be so close to freezing, that's when we're anticipating it to be bad," Sgt. Lonny Haschel of the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
And after the storm deluges parts of the South with rain Monday evening, it'll start zeroing in on the Northeast, the National Weather Service said. And that could spell more travel nightmares.
It's not just the bad timing that has travelers riled up. In many of the places, this kind of weather isn't supposed to happen.
"This is not Texas weather, man," driver Ron Taylor told CNN affiliate KTVT. "This is Alaska, or Idaho."
Even parts of Lubbock, known for its warmth and flatness, turned into a snowboarding park as several inches of snow blanketed the western Texas city.
Crews Racing to Stop the Beaver Creek Fire
Fire crews in Idaho think they may just may have turned the corner on the massive, 160-square mile Beaver Creek fire near the resort area of Sun Valley.
It's only 9-percent contained and some two thousand homes remain evacuated, but some residents were allowed to return to their homes Monday.
And there's some hope an aerial assault may be slowing the blaze.
Meanwhile, the blaze continues to ravage one of the country's most scenic spots, where many celebrities choose to build multi-million dollar vacation homes.
“Many people think this is an affluent area and it is," says Red Cross official Nicole Irwin, "but there are many people affected by this that are from different economic backgrounds and that's who is staying with us.”
Irwin is referring to residents staying in Red Cross shelters to escape the flames dangerously close to their homes.
“The Beaver Creek fire is a true beast, spreading across an area larger than the city of Denver,” reports CNN’s Dan Simon.
“Surrounded by bone dry trees and brush, it's clear this fire could keep burning for a very long time. The key is to keep the flames away from homes. But the wind has a way of pushing the fire in different directions.”
“We have plenty of resources right now and it's just a matter of having the right people at the right time, which I believe we do at this point in time,” says Fire Incident Commander Beth Lund.
“It's just a lot of work to go ahead and get this thing contained."
Oppressive Heat Wave Hits the East
It promises to be another brutal day for much of the country with hot, humid air oppressing residents from New York to Washington D.C.
“All across the region temperatures are crowding one-hundred degrees,” CNN’s Tom Foreman reports.
“With electrical grids struggling to support the soaring demand for air conditioning, some people are being warned to conserve in whatever way they can,” Foreman says.
“In a suburban county outside of Washington, D.C., the failure of a massive water line worried hundreds of thousands of customers, and prompted mandatory usage restrictions, while utility crews rushed the repairs.”
The heat is unrelenting, with reports that at least six people are dead.
“Even though the East is the hottest, much of the nation is getting grilled, with many communities opening cooling centers for elderly people and cautioning everyone to take it easy.”
Luckily, Foreman says, “cooler temperatures are expected by the weekend.”
Wet and wild fourth; flash floods threaten East Coast – Indra Petersons reports
It's a tale of two coasts for the Fourth of July holiday.
Independence week is shaping up to be a wet one on the East Coast, while scorching, dry conditions are heating the west.
The threat of storms, torrential rains and flash-floods - up and down the Eastern Seaboard - could put a serious damper on barbecues, fireworks and all things outdoors for celebrations on the fourth.
Indra Petersons has more on that.
Colorado wildfires turn deadly; two confirmed dead – Dan Simon reports
The Black Forest wildfire in Colorado Springs is spreading out of control this morning.
There are 750 firefighters on the front lines, struggling against whipping winds in a losing battle. Flames are literally flying across tree-tops, swallowing up homes in mere seconds, and turning the situation deadly.
Dan Simon is live in Colorado Springs this morning with the latest. “We now have the first two confirmed fatalities,” Simon says.
Two people were found in what was a garage, “They were in the process of fleeing the flames.”
Wildfires threatening lives and homes in Colorado – Dan Simon has the latest
Unpredictable wildfires are burning out of control in Colorado. Dan Simon is following the latest developments.
“On Wednesday the fires roared through thousands of acres in mere hours,” Simon says, “fueled by high temperatures, dry brush and gusty winds.”
Black Forest Fire forces thousands of evacuations in Colorado – Dan Simon reports
Five separate wildfires are burning across Colorado, the most troublesome of which is wreaking havoc near Colorado Springs. The Black Forest Fire has already consumed at least 75-hundred acres and forced the evacuation of some five thousand homes. CNN's Dan Simon has more on the scene.
Tornadoes, rip tides, heatwaves across the country – Indra Petersons reports
Extreme weather is striking across the country with heat waves out west and storms spinning out tornadoes in places like Maryland and Kentucky. Indra Petersons is tracking the latest.
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