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A large winter storm is worrying holiday travelers

Travelers wait in line to check-in for their flights at the United Airlines Terminal 1 ahead of the Christmas Holiday at O'Hare International Airport.
Travelers wait in line to check-in for their flights at the United Airlines Terminal 1 ahead of the Christmas Holiday at O'Hare International Airport.

This Christmas weekend could be the coldest in decades as a major winter storm makes its way across the country. 

Temperatures are expected to drop 30 to 50 degrees below average along with heavy snow and wind chills. 

The first blizzard warnings were issued on Tuesday on the west coast, but a large swath of the country could be impacted. Nearly 70 million people in the Midwest, the plains, and the east coast are under storm advisories. Around 800 flights have already been delayed. 

But travel disruptions are far from the only concerns. Freezing temperatures could be fatal for vulnerable populations like the elderly or the unhoused. And the possibility of power outages could exacerbate these problems

We talk about what this storm means for holiday travel and the best ways to stay safe.

Copyright 2022 WAMU 88.5

Haili Blassingame

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