Monster Storm Disrupting Air Travel in Metro Detroit; Utility Crews Headed East

Nearly 100 arrivals and departures had been canceled at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport by mid-morning Monday as a major winter storm bears down on the Northeast. (Photo via Creative Commons)

_________

Air travel across the nation – and that includes the metro Detroit area – has been disrupted by a powerful Nor’easter setting up to pummel some parts of New York City with up to 30 inches of snow.

The Detroit Free Press is reporting that monster blizzard – dubbed Winter Storm Juno by The Weather Channel – is already responsible for the cancellation of 91 arrivals and departures at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Most were canceled by airlines ahead of the storm to prevent people from being stranded.

FlightStats.com said 52 fights today and 39 Tuesday have already been canceled. Nationally, more than 4,300 flights had been canceled from California to Florida. FlightAware.com is another source to check the status of your flight.

Additionally, utility crews from Michigan are expected to be dispatched east to help restore power from expected outages. The Free Press said more than 50 Consumers Energy employees are en route to New York. Another 100 contractors are expected to help out restoring power.

About 29 million people are under a blizzard warning from the storm along a 250-mile stretch of the Northeast from the New Jersey shore to Downeast Maine, including the cities of New York City, Boston, Providence, Hartford and Portland and will remain in effect through late Tuesday night.

Lashing hurricane-strength winds accompanying the storm are “a recipe for disaster,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines told USA Today.