Massive winter storm threatens to bring snow and ice across US

Tomorrow is shaping up to be one of the worst days for air travel of the last year with more than 40% of flights already canceled at more than a dozen major US airports from Texas to Ohio due to a storm system working its way through the Midwest and South.

FlightAware data shows that US airlines have already canceled more than 2,600 flights on Thursday, making it the 10th worst day for air travel of the last year.

So far, more than 2,100 Wednesday flights have been canceled nationwide with mega-hub Chicago O’Hare and St. Louis hit the hardest by flight cancellations.

Southwest Airlines says it suspended operations in St. Louis today and is suspending operations in Dallas tomorrow.

FlightAware said 92% of Thursday departures have been canceled at Dallas Love Field, home of Southwest’s headquarters. Southwest Airlines has canceled a total of 23% of Thursday flights nationwide.

More context: Nearly one-third of all Thursday departures from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport have been canceled.

The airport is the largest hub for American Airlines, which so far has canceled 8% of its schedule.

The National Weather Service in Fort Worth, Texas, released a map for the region's eight million residents, estimating when ice is forecast to move west to east.

Rain with freezing temperatures will continue during the next 12 to 18 hours. When it hits 32 degrees Fahrenheit, ice is slated to start forming on bridges and overpasses. And when it drops another two degrees, streets will start to get slick, the weather service warns.

By 6 p.m. CT tonight, the cities of Celina and Jacksboro will "start to get bad," according to the NWS map. By 9 p.m. CT, Plano will be affected, and by midnight, Dallas will be the target. The system will continue to move east throughout the early morning hours.

See more key times in the map below:

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has declared a state of emergency ahead of a winter storm that is slated to pass through the commonwealth starting late Wednesday night and into Friday morning.

National Guard members, law enforcement and other authorities are expected to be pre-positioned near major interstates and roadways to respond to emergencies.

“This is something that is rarely done, but the predictions about this storm are again severe and we want to be ready,” he said.

Beshear urged residents to stay off roadways during the storm.

“If everything holds to where it is right now, this is the real deal. It is dangerous,” he said. “People need to be prepared and need to be prepared especially to stay off the roads tomorrow and potentially be ready to deal with this emergency for the next several days.”

The storm is expected to bring a significant amount of snow, rain, sleet and ice. Parts of the commonwealth are under a winter weather warning and flood watches are also in place, according to Beshear. 

“Ice accumulations — this is concerning — the expectation is anywhere from a quarter to three-quarters of an inch. Three-quarters of an inch is debilitating wherever it occurs,” Beshear said.

State offices will also be closed Thursday, and an executive order has been signed by Beshear to help protect against price gouging.

As heavy snow, sleet and ice affect a wide swath of the US, we're adding up how much snow has fallen so far.

Check out this interactive map to view your area:

The National Weather Service in St. Louis, Missouri, is warning residents to be aware of wintry weather even if there is a break in the precipitation.

Roads are still dangerous to drive on, according to NWS.

Heavy snow is expected to move back into the area for round two of the storm, affecting Interstate 70, the service tweeted.

Santa Fe Public Schools, a district that serves 13,500 students in New Mexico, closed all its schools Wednesday after previously announcing a morning delay due to hazardous weather and driving conditions.   

The district said in a tweet it was closing schools "out of an abundance of caution" due to "snow and freezing temperatures" that would cause unsafe driving conditions. All after-school and evening programs are canceled as well.   

The district clarified that Wednesday is "NOT a remote day."  

The Santa Fe area is expected to get up to four inches of snow, according to CNN estimates. 

More than 100 million people are under winter weather alerts stretching from the Rockies to New England, according to CNN estimates.  

CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam is on the ground at Notre Dame University in Indiana, where he said snow accumulation is up to about six inches so far on campus.

Both virtual and in-person classes have been canceled today.

Interstate 80 is being salted and plowed heavily, Van Dam reports, and traffic is moving along but there are massive delays west toward Chicago.

Here's more on the forecast and what it looks like on the snowy campus right now:

A massive winter storm is expected to bring ice, rain, sleet and snow to a large swath of the country over the next two to three days.

The National Weather Service just tweeted out a map of areas that could be affected now through Friday. The map includes winter storm warnings as far west as New Mexico and Colorado and as far north as northern New York and Vermont.

Here's a look:

The National Weather Service in Forth Worth, Texas, has updated its forecast for the winter storm, warning that residents should avoid traveling as "dangerous driving conditions are expected."

The city of Bonham, which is north of Dallas, is forecast to get .5-.75 inches of ice, while the city's eastern suburbs could see .25-.5 of ice.

Rain is expected to transition from freezing rain and sleet during the afternoon and evening hours to snow by Thursday. Very cold temperatures will continue into Saturday, according to the weather service.

Ice will remain on roads and bridges through Friday or Saturday.