PORTLAND, Maine — Black ice, snow showers and fog pestered post-holiday travelers in the Midwest on Monday while the Northeast geared up for its first major snowstorm of the season.
More than 8 inches of snow fell at Chicago O’Hare International Airport this weekend, setting a record for the highest single calendar day snowfall in November at the airport, according to the National Weather Service. The previous record was set in 1951.
About 300 flights into and out of O’Hare had been canceled by early Sunday evening, while about 1,600 had been delayed, according to the tracking site FlightAware. Dozens remained canceled or delayed there into Monday, and commuting conditions on roads were expected to remain dangerous in some areas well into Monday night.
In the Northeast, some parts of northern New England were expecting up to 10 inches of snow. A windy, potentially icy storm was headed to the region, and could soak some parts of the region’s six states while piling snow in others, forecasters said.
The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut and New York.
Pennsylvania prepares for snow
With plowable snow expected to coat large parts of Pennsylvania, crews began to treat lanes along the 565-mile Pennsylvania Turnpike system on Monday, said the agency’s press secretary, Marissa Orbanek. Vehicle restrictions on many interstates in the eastern half of Pennsylvania, including on the turnpike system’s Northeast Extension, from the Lehigh Valley to Clarks Summit, will be imposed at 5 a.m. Tuesday.
More than 600 equipment operators and safety workers are available to help clear the turnpike’s 2,900 miles of lanes, Orbanek said. The turnpike’s winter staffing schedule began in mid-November, and 23 maintenance sheds are staffed around the clock.
“We really prepare for snow all year long,” Orbanek said.
Travel still slow in Midwest
In Chicago, Don Herrian was among the crowds of travelers at O’Hare on Sunday, hoping to make it back home after Thanksgiving as hundreds of flights were delayed and canceled following a winter storm in the Great Lakes region.
The 76-year-old retiree from Ardmore, Okla., had visited his daughter and her family in Indianapolis. He said his first flight was three hours late, and his connecting flight to Oklahoma City from Chicago was already running another two hours behind.
“It is what it is,” Herrian said. “It’s congested, but that’s expected due to the snow, the delays and the holidays.”
Roads leading to O’Hare were packed Sunday with slow-moving vehicles even after the roads had been cleared of snow. Inside, delayed travelers crowded into gate seating areas, restaurants and sports bars to pass the time. Others grabbed spots on the floors of the terminals, snacking, knitting or scrolling their phones.
Planes were being de-iced at several airports across the country on Sunday, including at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
In Iowa, gusty winds on Sunday were blowing snow back onto roads, extending hazardous travel conditions, the National Weather Service said.
“We did have areas of Iowa and Illinois that saw over one foot of snow,” said meteorologist Andrew Orrison.
Winter weather on tap in Northeast
Orrison said snow in the Great Lakes region was tapering off, but the new storm was heading to the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with up to a foot expected to fall by Tuesday.
“It’s going to be the first snowfall of the season for many of these areas, and it’s going to be rather significant,” Orrison said. “The good news is that it does not look like the major cities at this point are going to be looking at any significant snowfall.”
The National Weather Service issued a warning for coastal Maine from Tuesday morning until Wednesday morning, stating that residents “should delay all travel if possible” due to snow.
In New Hampshire, the Department of Transportation on Sunday invited residents to submit names for its second annual name-a-plow competition.
“Welcome to The Department of the Seven Snowplows, our winter twist on a classic tale. Hawthorne had gables. We have orange snowplows just waiting for the perfect name,” the department said on social media.
Last year’s winner was Ctrl-Salt-Delete. This season’s winners will be announced in January.
Whittle and Schreck write for the Associated Press. Schreck reported from Chicago. AP reporters Jamie Stengle in Dallas and Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pa., and photojournalist Nam Y. Huh in Chicago contributed to this report.
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