Winter storm barrels down on holiday travel plans
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Forecasters suggest leaving sooner rather than later to get to holiday plans this week, as a major winter storm is expected to deteriorate conditions on the roads and in the skies.
"If you can change your travel plans to accommodate, you should do so," said Meredith Mitts with AAA.
Blizzard and whiteout conditions are possible across the upper Midwest starting Wednesday, with wind chills falling around minus-30 degrees. Travel experts recommend everyone planning to still drive this week has an emergency car kit. Some items to pack include extra winter clothing, batteries and a flashlight, a phone charger, and nonperishable foods and water.
"Staying home is the better option than being stranded on the side of the road for multiple hours," Mitts said.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport expects the busiest travel times to be on Dec. 22 and Dec. 26. They recommend travelers regularly check their flight status and arrive two hours early for domestic flights, and three hours for international flights.
"I don't mind the snow, it's the cold that I hope is, yeah, bearable," Sheila O'Neill said.
O'Neill flew from Baltimore to Minnesota to spend the holidays with family.
"My sister is coming from Vermont so she might have to change her flight later this week. And the man sitting next to us on the plane was worried about his travel later this week, so I think it's definitely on people's minds," she said.
Forecasters say the best day to leave to avoid the storm is Tuesday. Conditions are also expected to be poor in cities like Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison.
