Christmas ‘Bomb’ Cyclone Will Bring Snow and Travel Chaos for Up to 100m People this Holiday weekend

A heavy winter storm is expected to blast the country this week with a possible ‘bomb cyclone’. This could unleash chaos on holiday travel plans. More than 110 million Americans are expected to take to the roads and air.

The storm will bring severe cold, treacherous wind chills, and snowfall across the Plains, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and the Northeast between Wednesday and Friday night, according to the National Weather Service.

It is expected that the storm will intensify swiftly and become what is know as a ‘bomb cyclone’. A ‘bomb cyclone’ is a storm that escalates rapidly. This would impact severe winter weather such as rain with damaging winds and coastal flooding.

Major airlines have issued travel waivers ahead of the winter storm. Airlines such as United Airlines, headquartered in Chicago, JetBlue, Delta, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Southwest are also offering waivers.

The strengthening storm will emerge from the Rockies Wednesday and Wednesday night. Snow will first begin across the Dakotas, Minnesota and Nebraska before it spreads southward. Accumulating snow could fall as far south as Colorado and Kansas before sunrise Thursday morning.

With a winter storm on the horizon, travelers should anticipate lengthy delays and cancellations at the airport.

AAA advises that passengers should make sure that they check with airlines before departing their homes and make sure to get to the airports early.

The number of people flying is expected to come close to pre-pandemic levels.

As reported by the outlet, 90 percent of Americans are traveling by car this holiday season. Safety is a chief concern and travelers should make sure to follow safety standards by taking cell phone chargers, and a warm coat along with water and snacks in case they get stranded.

A person can get frostbite on bare skin in as little as 5 minutes.

The mercury drop has the potential to generate the coldest Christmas Day in nearly 40 years.

In Chicago, Christmas Day has a forecasted high of only 12 degrees — which would make it the coldest Christmas since 1996.

‘It does not look like a good day to be traveling across the Midwest on Friday,’ said Greg Carbin, chief of forecast operations at the NWS Weather Prediction Center. ‘It’ll definitely be feeling like winter almost from coast to coast.’