Airlines are warning that travel to and from Central Canada may be affected by a winter storm sweeping in from the west. The blizzard conditions were expected to cause delays to flights into and out of airports in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal on Wednesday and Thursday. Meanwhile, brutal winter weather hammered the northern US Wednesday with “whiteout” snow, dangerous wind gusts and bitter cold, shutting down roadways, closing schools and businesses and prompting dire warnings for people to stay home.

Air Canada had delayed or cancelled more than 100 flights – or about 23 percent – by Wednesday afternoon. WestJet had pushed back or nixed 91 flights, or nearly a third of its trips, according to FlightAware.

Environment Canada warns heavy snow will hit a swath of southern Ontario starting in the late afternoon, followed by ice pellets and freezing rain overnight.

It forecasts snowfall will total 10 to 15 centimetres with winds gusting at 50 to 70 kilometres per hour as the low-pressure system advances from the American southwest.

“We are monitoring the weather and we have made some schedule adjustments in anticipation of the storm, and this is ongoing as the situation evolves,” Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said in an email, noting that customers will be rebooked or can opt for a refund.

Jazz Aviation, which operates regional flights for Air Canada Express, has cancelled 75 of its Wednesday flights, or 16 percent, according to FlightAware.

It’s no better south of the border…

A massive storm with blizzard-like conditions to the north was part of a wild weather day across the US. Strong winds knocked out power for tens of thousands in California. Wind gusts, combined with snow and rain, forced closure of a long stretch of interstate highway in the Southwest. Meanwhile, the mid-Atlantic down to Florida will see record high temperatures – in some cases up to 40 degrees above normal.

Schools throughout the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin were called off Wednesday. Offices closed, and so did the Minnesota Legislature. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem shut down state executive branch offices in several parts of the state, and employees worked remotely.

In Wyoming, virtually every road was impacted.

“A major winter storm and multi-day closures are likely on Interstates and secondary roads throughout Wyoming!” the state Transportation Department said on Facebook.

It wasn’t much better in neighboring states.

“Sometimes it’s physically impossible to keep up with Mother Nature,” said North Dakota Highway Patrol Sgt. Wade Kadrmas.

He warned those who venture out to dress appropriately. Often, when motorists get stranded, “They don’t have a winter jacket. They might be wearing shorts and flip-flops, just thinking they’re going to get from point A to point B and nothing is going to go wrong,” he said.

FlightAware said carriers have already cancelled some 2,200 flights in the United States as of early Wednesday afternoon, threatening to snarl trips and connecting flights for Canadians as well.
Roughly 400 – were due to arrive or depart from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Powerful winds were the biggest problem in California, toppling trees and power lines. By Wednesday morning, more than 109,000 customers were without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us.

A 1-year-old child was critically injured when a redwood crashed onto home in Boulder Creek, a community in the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco, KTVU reported. Chief Mark Bingham of the local fire protection district said crews had to cut up the tree to free the victim.

A blizzard warning was issued for the mountains of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, effective from 4 a.m. Thursday to 4 p.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service said.

“Nearly the entire population of CA will be able to see snow from some vantage point later this week if they look in the right direction (i.e., toward the highest hills in vicinity),” UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain wrote on Twitter.

A more than 200-mile (320-kilometer) stretch of Interstate 40 from central Arizona to the New Mexico line closed due to snow, rain and wind gusts of up to 80 mph (129 kph). Thousands were without power in Arizona.

In the northern US – a region accustomed to heavy snow – the snowfall could be historic. More than 20 inches (50.8 centimeters) may pile up in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, the National Weather Service said. According to the weather service, the biggest snow event on record in the Twin Cities was 28.4 inches (72 centimeters) from Oct. 31 through Nov. 3, 1991. The second-largest was 21.1 inches (53.6 centimeters) of snow from Nov. 29 through Dec. 1, 1985.

Temperatures in the nation’s northern tier could plunge as low as minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 29 degrees Celsius) Thursday and to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 32 degrees Celsius) Friday in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wind chills may fall to minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 46 degrees Celsius), said Nathan Rick, a meteorologist in Grand Forks.

Wind gusts may reach 50 mph (80 kph) in western and central Minnesota, resulting in “significant blowing and drifting snow with whiteout conditions in open areas,” the weather service said.

The storm will make its way toward the East Coast later this week. Places that don’t get snow may get dangerous amounts of ice. Forecasters expect up to a half-inch of ice in parts of southern Michigan, northern Illinois and some eastern states.

As the northern US deals with a winter blast, the mid-Atlantic and Southeast could experience record warmth Wednesday.

“We could see record highs being set everywhere from Pittsburgh to as far south as Fort Myers, Florida,” National Weather Service Meteorologist Frank Pereira said. Highs in the Southeast could reach the mid- to upper-80s.

In Fargo, North Dakota, the Wednesday morning temperature was minus 11 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 24 degrees Celsius), so server Michelle Wilson wasn’t surprised by the small crowd at the Denny’s where she works.

“When the wind picks up and you’re in a flat land like North Dakota, it’s whiteout conditions immediately,” Wilson said.