Snow Storm Pummels Midwest and Restricts Travel

By Terry Green
Dec 4 2010

A massive winter storm moved through the Midwestern United States Friday night, dumping as much as 9 inches of snow in some areas, which has restricted travel.

The storm started in Minnesota where near a foot of snow had already fallen and then swept through the Wisconsin area. The increased storm activity started the lake effect snow possibilities in the Great Lakes area, causing massive travel delays throughout the Midwest.

Planes in all major Midwest airports were grounded overnight and are still on the ground this morning. Airport crews struggled to keep the runways clear for flights that were already in the landing pattern. All other flights were rerouted to other airports as the crews were called in to wait out the storm.

As the storm continued other states were buried in snow. New York was one of the worst areas affected as the storm gained increased strength over the Great Lakes. More than nine inches of snow hit the New York area in just a few hours, stranding hundreds of airline travelers and also causing hundreds to leave their cars abandoned on freeways that were snowed shut.

This morning crews are out trying to dig the streets clear and get the airports back in operation. More snow is expected today but it will likely move away before noon. All airlines are expected to be running later today as the runways are cleared and the weather improves. This will please thousands of stranded travelers who spent the night on hard airport chairs.