Thanksgiving blizzard plunges holiday travel into chaos for millions across US

Millions of Thanksgiving travelers have been met with holiday chaos at airports and on snowy roads as a major winter blasts rips through the US. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered a ground delay at Chicago O'Hare International Airport Wednesday morning due to snow and ice building up on runways. The delay is scheduled to last until 10pm ET and has already caused average wait times of more than an hour for departing flights.

According to Flight Aware, more than 2,200 flights entering and exiting the US today have been delayed, including over 300 at Chicago O'Hare alone. Departures at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston were delayed by 30 minutes due to strong winds, and the FAA expected those wait times to increase throughout the day. Even in areas of the US where weather conditions have cleared, the holiday rush has started to take its toll on airport, which have had to delay flights to manage the crush of planes all trying to take off and land at once.

Orlando International Airport in Florida has announced flight delays of more than 30 minutes to ease the volume on busy runways. Meanwhile, heavy snow is predicted to bring blizzard-like conditions to several states, including the Dakotas, Wisconsin , Minnesota , and Michigan , where more than a foot of snow may fall by Thursday. This is a breaking story. More details to follow. AccuWeather has warned that airport in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Detroit will likely continue to be affected by 'several inches of snow' through Sunday.

AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said: 'Even a few inches of snow at major airports such as Chicago O'Hare or Minneapolis–St. Paul can lead to delays and cancellations for travelers heading home.' 'De-icing operations and snow removal on runways can create a domino effect, with disruptions at key hubs leading to delays at airports across the country.' Several airports throughout the US experienced temporary delays Wednesday morning, as busy travel hubs, including Phoenix Sky Harbor International, briefly grounded flights due to the increased volume of planes trying to take off at once.

Extremely long lines at airport check-ins have been seen at Boston Logan International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the nation's busiest airport. The FAA has also announced plans for possible ground stops at New Jersey 's Newark Liberty International Airport and Washington DC's Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Wednesday afternoon.

The list of potential disruptions or delays at these airports is based on FAA forecasts for problematic traffic, weather, staffing, or other operational factors. The warnings are proactive alerts to help airlines, pilots, and travelers prepare for delays, but they are not guaranteed to occur. The remnants of the coast-to-coast storm which barreled into the Northeast on Tuesday has now sent temperatures plunging by 15 to 20 degrees throughout half the nation.

States from Maine to North Carolina along the East Coast, and all the way across the Midwest to Nebraska and Kansas, should expect the frigid temperatures to hold into Thanksgiving. In New York, wind gusts on up to 40mph could force the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to change its plans for the high-flying balloons.