Plane skids off icy runway as snow snarls post-Thanksgiving travel
A cross-country storm dumping snow across Colorado and the Midwest has led to hundreds of canceled flights and car crashes, including a 45-vehicle pileup on one Indiana highway, amid the post-Thanksgiving travel rush.
Overall, more than 1,400 flights across the country were canceled Saturday, with the majority due to weather hitting the upper Midwest, according to FlightAware.
In one terrifying incident for air travelers, a Delta Connection flight with 54 passengers and a crew of four skidded off an icy runway at the Des Moines International Airport overnight, according to Sarah Hoodjer, the airport's communications manager.
The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. local time as Flight 5087, operated by Endeavor Air and originating in Detroit, was landing at the airport, according to a statement from Delta Air Lines. The aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ-900, "left the paved surface of the taxiway due to icy conditions upon landing," according to the Delta statement. No injuries were reported and passengers were evacuated from the aircraft and bused to a terminal, according to Delta.
Hoodjer said the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.
Chicago O'Hare International Airport was the most weather-impacted airport by far, with over 930 cancellations and over 750 delays as of Saturday afternoon. Flights leaving to O’Hare are delayed an average of five hours due to snow and ice, according to the FAA.
Chicago Midway International Airport had 187 cancellations and 85 delays. Both airports were also issued ground stops.
In Putnamville, Indiana, south of Indianapolis, state authorities said heavy snow caused a chain-reaction crash on Interstate 70 involving 45 vehicles, according to the Indiana State Police Department. No major injuries were caused by the pileup, which temporarily closed the interstate.
On Sunday, law enforcement officers responded to separate vehicle pileups on Interstate 70 in Colorado. The first chain-reaction crash occurred around 11:28 a.m. local time east of Glenwood Springs in Garfield County and involved more than 20 vehicles, according to the Colorado State Police.
The second pileup unfolded around 11:42 a.m. in Eagle County, west of the town of Gypsum, and involved about 30 vehicles, the state police said.
No injuries were reported from either Colorado pileups, according to officials, who said icy road conditions and low visibility contributed to the crashes.
Millions are under winter weather alerts, as the storm is expected to push into the Great Lakes on Saturday night.
Over half a foot of snow is possible from central Iowa into southern Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, Indiana and Western Michigan.
With heavy snow and gusty winds at times, whiteout conditions and very dangerous travel will be likely for these areas on Saturday and into Sunday morning.
Behind the storm, expect a cold blast for the Northern U.S. -- temperatures are set to drop 10 to 20 degrees below the average for early December.
Another winter storm is forecast for next week.
ABC News' Jenna Harrison contributed to this report.
