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Airlines were forced to cancel or delay nearly 6,000 flights on Sunday, while a dangerous winter storm covered the Midwest region with heavy snowfall.
At least 1,265 US flights were canceled and 5,000 more were delayed on the last Thanksgiving weekend, considered the busiest travel day of the year, according to FlightAware Flight Tracker. .
Travel interruptions continued until Monday, with approximately 480 US flights canceled and nearly 200 flights delayed as of Monday morning.
The winter storm caused conditions similar to the snowstorm in parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes and blocked important roads in states like Kansas, where the governor declared the state of emergency catastrophic early Sunday night.
The statement comes as much of Interstate 70, which covers much of the state, was closed due to poor visibility and road conditions.
"The Kansas Department of Transportation has announced the closure of several roads due to visibility, including I-70 east and west from Salina to WaKeeney," Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer said in a statement. . "We strongly recommend postponing travel plans due to conditions, if possible."
Dangerous road conditions also resulted in the closure of parts of the I-80 highway in Nebraska, as a result of the rapid storm that created a whiteout that made it almost impossible for motorists to see.
Kansas City International Airport closed on Sunday afternoon as crews tried to clear the runway and de-ice planes.
"While airport crews continue to clear and sweep the runways and taxiways, the airfield is currently closed to arrivals due to visibility," tweeted the airport on Sunday. . "Please check with your airline for flight status."
Iowa recorded the most snowfall among Midwestern states with totals of up to 17 inches, while Rockford, Illinois received almost one foot, making history the largest. November snowstorm for this region.
Kansas City, Missouri, saw about 5.3 inches of snow, beating the November snow record set in 1923. The storm also brought a dangerous wind with gusts of up to 80 mph in Colorado and bursts of up to 70 mph in Kansas.
The storm was expected to hit parts of northern Indiana and southern Michigan on Monday before moving further east.
ABC News
It is expected to result in heavy snowfall in the New England region and heavy rains on parts of I-95 corridor, which could lead to traffic delays due to floods in cities such as New York and Philadelphia, said meteorologists.
ABC NewsABC Theodores Christine Theodorou contributed to this report.
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