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A major winter storm is wreaking havoc as Americans travel for the holidays. As of 2:00 p.m. ET, nearly 2,000 flights have been canceled, and more than 4,700 have been delayed, according to FlightAware.
More than 90 million Americans across 37 states are under winter weather alerts as the storm, which the National Weather Service has dubbed a "once-in-a-generation type event," makes it away across the country.
States along the western Great Lakes could see up to a foot of snow, while Wisconsin, Illinois, and parts of Michigan could see up to six inches. In addition to the snow, the storm is expected to produce gusty winds that could blow the snow around and create whiteout conditions.
The looming storm forced Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, which is one of the busiest airports in the country, to cancel nearly 200 flights before the snow started to fall.
As the storm moves East, the snow will turn to rain across the central Appalachians, mid-Atlantic, and New England.
As the rain and snow clear out, it will be followed by bitter-cold temperatures. Some areas could see temperatures drop by 50 degrees in just a few hours as the thermometer dips into the single digits, with some regions experiencing wind chills well below zero.
"This is about as extreme of a temperature drop there can be in the Northeast," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Joe Lundberg said.
As the temperatures drop, it could create dangerous conditions as the rain turns to ice, leaving roads slick.