Storm messes with Thanksgiving travel plans

A swift-moving storm that has battered much of the West roared toward the nation’s midsection Wednesday, flummoxing drivers on one of the year’s most hectic travel days.

The National Weather Service predicted wind chills of minus 40 degrees in Montana — cold enough for frostbite to take hold in less than 10 minutes — and blizzard conditions in Colorado, where winds as strong as 60 mph stirred falling snow into thick sheets of white.

North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin each braced for several inches of snow, while Illinois, Indiana and Ohio were warned of potential flooding.

“That storm front just flew through,” said Mark Jackson, a weather service meteorologist in California. “It’s going to create some nasty travel. You don’t want to drive. You don’t want to be outside.”

About 42 million travelers were expected to venture at least 50 miles from home for Thanksgiving weekend. Through midday Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration reported few flight delays from either the storm system or anticipated protests over airports’ more aggressive security measures, including pat-down screenings.

“It has been painless — quick and easy,” said Ohio teacher Samantha Canfield, 58, while waiting for a flight at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, where sleet and freezing rain were expected to complicate travel.

The foul weather began its march across the country this week, paralyzing much of the Pacific Northwest, where it was blamed for at least three deaths, the Associated Press reported. The storm closed roads in Idaho, Wyoming and Utah and forced schools from Alaska to Minnesota to cancel classes.

On Wednesday, rescue crews in Nevada scoured the Sierra backcountry for a third day in hopes of finding a lost hiker ill-dressed for the freezing temperatures. Rick Gentry, 55, had called authorities for help Sunday, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported, and search crews on Monday found his snow shoes, Nike baseball hat, fanny pack and a single glove.

Across much of the nation, the storm’s blustery mix of wind and powder forced many to retool their holiday plans. In Utah, businesses reported robust sales of emergency power generators and snow blowers. In Reno, officials called off a holiday tree-lighting ceremony and a tailgate party marking the University of Nevada’s upcoming football faceoff with Boise State.

Storm gusts even battered the country’s more southerly reaches. Arizona drivers punched through winds of up to 35 mph, while Las Vegas tourists bundled up to cope with subfreezing temperatures.

Another storm is expected to charge through the West by Sunday, Jackson said, though it will probably be somewhat tamer.

ashley.powers@latimes.com