As travelers prepare to fly home on what is anticipated to be one of the busiest travel days in 15 years, a powerful winter storm in the Midwest and Great Lakes region has prompted the cancellation of hundreds of flights nationwide. As of noon Sunday, 6,211 flights have been delayed into and out of the United States, and 1,006 flights have been canceled, according to flight tracker FlightAware, which provides live flight delay and cancellation updates.
A midweek winter storm targets the Sierra Wednesday night through Friday with strong southwest winds, high initial snow levels that trend lower, and dense-to-fair quality snow favoring higher elevations. Mammoth leads with 14″-21″ through Saturday, while the Tahoe crest and adjacent high country collect roughly 6″-17″ with the bulk Thursday night; Friday afternoon into Saturday turns quieter, a weak wave may brush the range Sunday, and a cool, active pattern is favored to return next week.