In brief
A winter storm wreaked havoc across the Midwest and Northeast this weekend, causing thousands of power outages in Wisconsin and disruptions to travel ahead of the busy post-Thanksgiving period. Heavy snowfalls led to the closure of the Des Moines airport and warnings of hazardous travel conditions as gusty winds blew snow onto roads. In Western Michigan, many churches opted for online services due to the inclement weather. Meteorologists are forecasting another significant storm moving towards the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
Utility crews worked to restore power Sunday to thousands of people in Wisconsin, the consequence of a weekend storm in the Great Lakes region that brought down power lines, while a wintry mix of rain and snow developed in the Northeast.
The airport in Des Moines, Iowa, remained closed Sunday morning, a major travel day at the end of the Thanksgiving holiday. A Delta Connection flight from Detroit slid off an icy runway Saturday night. Authorities said no injuries were reported, and passengers were transported to the terminal by bus.
Hundreds of churches in western Michigan told worshippers to stay home or watch services online. Up to 12 inches (about 30 centimeters) of snow has fallen since Saturday in areas close to Lake Michigan.
In Wisconsin, We Energies reported more than 6,000 power outages, with more than half in Milwaukee and South Milwaukee. Mark Paladino said on Facebook that he was shoveling snow Sunday when his apartment complex lost power in Fredonia. Others said power lines were sagging under heavy, wet snow.
Elsewhere in Iowa, gusty winds 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,” including 15 inches (38 centimeters) in Fort Dodge, Iowa, said meteorologist Andrew Orrison.
He said snow in the Great Lakes region was tapering off, but a new storm was heading to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with up to a foot of snow 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.”
