More than 1,500 flights cancelled at Chicago and Detroit airports as US braces for Arctic blast in the coming days

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More than 1,500 flights have been cancelled at Chicago and Detroit airports as a result of heavy snow, and more is set for large parts of the country in the coming days.  

A blanket of snow swept over the Great Lakes and the Northeast during the winter storm, causing chaos at two of the nation's busiest airports.

The wintry weather mostly moved out of the Plains overnight on Saturday, pushing further into Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana.

Flight-tracking website FlightAware reported that 1,397 flights were canceled in Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports — about half arrivals and half departures. 

By Sunday afternoon, 159 flights had been cancelled at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, FlightAware reported.

Parts of Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin had seen more than half a foot of snow by early Sunday afternoon, and more is forecast for the beginning of the week.

More than 1,500 flights have been cancelled at Chicago and Detroit airports as a result of heavy snow, and more is set for large parts of the country in the coming days 

A blanket of snow swept over the Great Lakes and the Northeast during the winter storm, causing chaos at two of the nation's busiest airports. 

Parts of Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin had seen more than half a foot of snow by early Sunday afternoon, and more is forecast for the beginning of the week. 

Temperatures in Chicago  on Sunday will drop as low as 24F overnight. 

Temperatures will pick up slightly on Monday to 26F but falls again during the evening to a freezing 16F.

Early Sunday, 1,181 flights were canceled at O’Hare International Airport and 163 flights were canceled at Midway International Airport.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel told Fox 32 that residents should take precautions from the snow and cold. 

'We want residents to know city departments are prepared to assist those needing well-being checks, snow removal and other cold-weather services,' said Emanuel.

'We ask Chicagoans to do their part and shovel sidewalks and help out by checking in on family, friends and neighbors during extremely cold or snowy weather.'

Detroit is also expected to receive about eight inches of snow, while Cleveland could see up to six inches, and Burlington, Vermont, could get up to three.

The wintry weather mostly moved out of the Plains overnight on Saturday, pushing further into Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana

Temperatures 15 to 30 degrees below average will follow the cold rain and snow in the coming days through much of the Midwest and East

Early Sunday, 1,181 flights were canceled at O’Hare International Airport (file picture) and 163 flights had been canceled at Midway International Airport

The Ohio River valley and Mid-Atlantic will see a mix of snow, freezing rain and rain.

Temperatures 15 to 30 degrees below average will follow the cold rain and snow in the coming days through much of the Midwest and East.

'The air mass on the way for the middle of December is likely to be substantially colder, when compared to that of this past week and this weekend,' AccuWeather lead long-range meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.

The news came the same day as the I-75 was shut down in Michigan on Friday after 40 cars and three semis were involved in a pile-up caused by icy conditions. 

North central states are likely to reach dangerously low temperatures thanks to windchill in the coming weeks, making the possibility of further crashes a terrifying possibility. 

Those in North Dakota and northern Minnesota - who have already spent the last week dealing with heavy snowfall - can expect highs at or slightly below zero.

And Chicago saw its airport and roads shut down Wednesday, will find its highs dropping to the mid-teens.

Geese walk along the snow covered waterfront park through heavy snowfall as the first winter storm of the season hits the area in Portland, Oregon

Snow falls around the Space Needle, in Seattle as a wintry mix of snow, ice and rain showered the area 

Winnipeggers were digging out and pushing on after days of snow in Winnipeg

What this means for those further south, however, won't be known until the start of next week.

The cold air could crash into the Deep South and I-95 corridor, or it may be held back a little - meaning that temperatures may be around the lowest points reached this weekend.

However, temperatures could still drop in the South later in the week, with Atlanta having highs in the 30s and the possibility of a freeze occurring on the Gulf Coast if clear skies and diminished winds prevail.

And in the third week of December another blast may sweep across the northern plains and down to the South and East Coast states.

This weekend, more than 20 million Americans are under a winter weather warning, watch or advisory, according to CNN. 

Those in northwestern states haven't been able to escape the bitter cold, however.

Pile-up: Icy conditions led to 40 cars and three semi trucks colliding on the northbound Interstate 75 near Holly Road in Michigan 

Crash: The I-75 crash saw the road shut down by police. Southbound lanes were also affected after rubberneckers caused other crashes, police said

There were massive pileups involving more than 50 vehicles in Michigan and Ohio which left three people dead and dozens injured on Thursday. Pictured is the I-96 near Lansing, where three died in a 40-car crash

On Friday Seattle found itself under a rare one-to-three inches of snow, which it shared with other parts of Washington state.

That night, Washington state troopers announced that in the preceding 24 hours they had been called out to 113 collisions in King County alone.

A winter storm warning - with sleet, rain and snow expected - was issued for the area covering Southeast Washington and Northeast Oregon.

And in Portland, freezing rain led to power lines and trees being weighed down by ice and ultimately collapsing. 

Portland Fire & Rescue tweeted Friday night that they were working to rescue between 75 and 100 people from a light rail train stopped by a high voltage power line down on the tracks. It was cleared by 10pm. 

Snow joke: Residents in the north - such as these people at Standing Rock, North Dakota - have already experienced huge amounts of snow, and more cold weather is now expected

Injuries: There have been no reports of fatalities, but several injuries have been reported. More incidents like this could occur as the cold blasts descend next week

Blizzards: Denver, Colorado (pictured), has already been hit with snow, and will only get colder. It's not known yet if the Arctic blast will make it all the way down to the Deep South, however

In total, the fire department was called to 378 emergencies between midnight Friday and 7.30pm, with more than 120 being  related to power issues and falls on ice.

Three people died and 11 others were hurt following a pileup on a snow-slickened Interstate 96 near Lansing, Michigan Thursday.

And the Lake County sheriff's office said about 20 people were injured in a chain reaction crash Thursday in Ohio.

However, there may warmer days ahead for Christmas, AccuWeather says, as warmer Pacific air and the polar jet stream cutting across the Canadian border may conspire to keep the Arctic cold away from the whole of the US.

Don't expect crystal-clear blue skies, however - while the temperature might not be as blisteringly cold, there could still be rain, hail and snow.