Americans heading home after Thanksgiving this year found themselves facing a travel nightmare, as a sprawling, powerful winter storm swept across the United States, disrupting flights, snarling highways, and plunging millions into a deep freeze. The storm, which began its journey through the Rockies on Friday, November 28, 2025, quickly evolved into a cross-country weather event, impacting nearly every mode of transportation and affecting post-holiday plans for millions.
According to CNN, as of Saturday, November 29, more than 1,800 U.S. flights were canceled, with the brunt of the disruptions hitting Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. There, more than 1,100 flights were canceled and over 800 delayed, as the city was blanketed by about five inches of snow and flight delays stretched up to five hours. The situation was so severe that ground delays were also reported at Minneapolis-Saint Paul due to snow and ice, while Dallas Fort Worth faced slowdowns thanks to thunderstorms.
The National Weather Service, cited by StormTeam 5, issued winter storm alerts for nearly a dozen states, stretching from Montana and the Dakotas through the Great Lakes and into the Midwest. In total, around 49 million people in the North found themselves under winter weather advisories, bracing for heavy rain, several inches of snow, and, for some, a dangerous icy mix.
Travelers on the ground faced their own set of hazards. In Iowa, the State Patrol reported rescuing nearly 200 people from ditches as road conditions deteriorated rapidly. “Road conditions are absolutely deteriorating very quickly,” warned Sgt. Alex Dinkla of the Iowa State Patrol, in comments to CNN. The Illinois Department of Transportation echoed the caution, with Secretary Gia Biagi telling CNN’s Omar Jimenez, “So if you don’t have to travel, please don’t, and stay home or stay with friends if you can. But if you do have to travel, we want you to take it easy.” Biagi also stressed that cleanup would take at least a day or two after the storm’s passage.
It wasn’t just inconvenience—there was tragedy as well. On Wednesday, November 26, in Alden Township, Minnesota, a 69-year-old man was killed after being crushed by a snow-laden tree during strong winds, as reported by CNN affiliate WCCO. This fatality underscored the deadly potential of such winter storms, even before the main event reached its peak.
The storm’s impact was felt across a vast swath of the country. Widespread accumulating snow stretched from the Rockies to the Appalachians, with the Midwest bearing the brunt. According to StormTeam 5, significant parts of Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan were forecast to receive more than six inches of snow through the weekend. In some places, totals could exceed a foot—particularly in eastern Iowa, including Cedar Rapids, and far northwest Illinois. Chicago itself was on track for eight or more inches from early Saturday through early Sunday, an amount not seen in a two-day stretch since January 2021.
For drivers, the storm’s mix of snow and ice made for treacherous conditions. In Indiana, a massive pileup involving 35 cars and 10 semi-trucks shut down Interstate 70 near Terre Haute for five hours on Saturday afternoon, November 29. Indiana State Police Sgt. Matt Ames told CNN, “There were 11 people transported off the interstate by ambulance. No major injuries, only complaint of pain.” Still, the incident highlighted just how quickly winter weather can turn highways into danger zones.
South of the snow line, rain and thunderstorms brought their own set of problems. Portions of eastern Texas, including Houston, and western Louisiana faced threats of localized flash flooding on Saturday, November 29. Rain was expected to shift eastward on Sunday, potentially slowing travel further but posing less risk of flash flooding as it moved.
As if snow and rain weren’t enough, the storm also opened the door to a surge of Arctic air. Temperatures began to plummet behind the storm’s path, with highs in the teens and low 20s reaching as far south as Nebraska. By Sunday morning, November 30, much of the north-central U.S. was waking up to single-digit lows, and freezing temperatures crept into northern Texas. For parts of Montana, the Dakotas, and the Upper Midwest, Monday, December 1, was expected to bring temperatures several degrees below zero—a bone-chilling start to meteorological winter.
StormTeam 5’s meteorologist A.J. Burnett described the storm as a “one-two punch,” with the first round bringing rain to southern New England on Sunday. While the storm was expected to arrive in a weakened form in that region, up to half an inch of rain was forecast, with light snow possible in higher elevations. The main concern for New England would come on Tuesday, December 2, when a wintry mix and accumulating snow could bring three inches or more north and west of Boston, promising further disruptions before the system cleared out by Wednesday, December 3.
For those hoping to squeeze in some holiday shopping or simply get home, the timing couldn’t have been worse. The Saturday after Black Friday is traditionally a key moment for small businesses, particularly in places like Hawaii, but the focus this year was on safety and patience as weather alerts and travel delays dominated the headlines.
Computer models, according to StormTeam 5, pointed to an early afternoon arrival of rain in New England on Sunday, with conditions expected to improve after midnight into Monday. However, models were less certain about the following weekend, with the potential for more fast-moving systems to affect the region.
Looking ahead, the cold air mass behind the storm was expected to linger into the first week of December, with Monday and Tuesday remaining frigid for millions before temperatures began to moderate midweek. But as CNN noted, this Arctic blast could be a preview of further cold spells, possibly linked to a disruption of the polar vortex deeper into December.
With nearly every region from the Plains to the East Coast affected in some way—be it snow, ice, rain, or cold—this post-Thanksgiving storm served as a stark reminder of how quickly weather can upend even the best-laid plans. For travelers and residents alike, the message from authorities was clear: exercise caution, stay informed, and be prepared for winter’s full force as the calendar turns to December.
