The Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: Blizzard, arctic blast deliver gut punch to Christmas travel plans
Start your day with the latest weather news – A powerful storm will coat parts of the U.S. in snow, while the cold that follows will plunge much of the country into a dangerous deep freeze.
Daily Weather Update | December 22, 2022
Start your day with the latest weather news from FOX Weather.
Welcome to the Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather. It’s Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, and there are only nine days left in the year.
Start your day the right way with everything you need to know about today's weather. You can also get a quick briefing of national, regional and local weather whenever you like with the FOX Weather Update podcast.
Christmas travel woes start with blizzard driven by bomb cyclone
All the holiday headaches start with a major winter storm creating a blizzard across the northern tier of the U.S. just in time for Christmas travel. The storm, which will become a so-called "bomb cyclone," will blanket the northern Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes with snow. Howling winds will blow that snow around, creating blizzard conditions for parts of the region. Travel will become difficult, if not impossible, as the weekend approaches.
Things to know
Winds are expected to intensify as the storm strengthens.
(FOX Weather)
Invasion of dangerous arctic blast has begun
As if the snow wasn’t problematic enough, the cold that is following it will create an entirely different set of travel troubles. The northern Plains have already started to feel the effects of this bitter cold, and it’s spreading south and east for the remainder of the week. This kind of cold can be extremely dangerous for anyone caught outside or indoors without heat. To make it worse, the tremendous winds with this storm will make temperatures feel like they are far below zero for millions of Americans. The extreme cold could lead to a flash freeze, making black ice a real concern where precipitation has fallen.
Things to know
A map showing Wind Chill Alerts across the U.S.
(FOX Weather)
Ice storm could add to travel woes in Pacific Northwest
While the eastern U.S. deals with a blizzard and frigid weather, the West will have to contend with ice. Freezing rain is expected across parts of Washington and Oregon, including the Seattle and Portland areas, through Friday. The FOX Forecast Center said it could be enough ice to cause numerous power outages, damage trees and make roads very slick.
Things to know
FILE - An SUV sits covered in ice during a major ice storm near Seattle in January, 2012
(Scott Sistek / FOX Weather)
Airlines waiving fees for trip changes because of storm
The blizzard and extreme cold have led many airlines across the country to waive fees for passengers who need to change their Christmas week travel plans. A travel expert told FOX Weather that the app for the airline you’re traveling with will be the best way to make those changes. Also, you’re running out of time if you want to buy travel insurance for your holiday trip.
Things to know
- Best time to travel to avoid winter storm cancellations or delays
- How does de-icing work?
- What to do if your flight is canceled
FILE - An American Eagle plane taxis during a snow storm at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) in Seattle, Washington, US, on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022.
(David Ryder/Bloomberg / Getty Images)
Bonus reads
- NFL Week 16 games brace for dangerous wind chills from massive bomb cyclone
- USPS: Missing mail deliveries only a ‘last resort’, even with a blizzard looming this Christmas
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