Over 4,900 Flights Canceled in U.S.

More than 4,900 flights traveling into, out of or within the U.S. were canceled Friday as airports across the country grounded planes due to Winter Storm Elliott.

The total number of canceled flights as of 4:45 p.m. ET Friday was 4,905, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware. Another 7,600 flights were delayed.

Flight cancellations and delays were still being reported Friday afternoon. Travelers across the country have been urged by officials with the U.S. Department of Transportation to get to the airport early and remain in contact with their airlines about flight schedule disruptions.

Looking ahead to the holiday weekend, 431 flights going into, leaving or traveling within the U.S. on Christmas Eve have already been canceled. Nine flights scheduled to take off on Christmas Day have also been canceled.

Local Reporter Goes Viral for Snarky Storm Report

A local sports reporter has gone viral on Twitter for begrudgingly covering the winter storm conditions in Iowa.

Mark Woodley usually covers sports on a 30-minute segment in a studio for KWWL-TV. But early Thursday morning, he was asked to do live shots of the blizzard conditions as many sporting events were canceled.

He posted clips from his reporting on social media with the caption, "This is what you get when you ask the sports guy to come in to cover a blizzard in the morning show."

As he covered the freezing temperatures, wind and snow in the dark hours of the morning, Woodley was clearly not thrilled to be reporting out in the field.

"This is a really long show. Tune in for the next couple hours to watch me progressively get crankier and crankier," he said, joking that he "didn't realize that there was a 3:30 also in the morning — until today."

As conditions worsened, Woodley got more sarcastic and less enthusiastic.

"Can I go back to my regular job?" he said at one point. "I'm pretty sure you guys added an extra hour to this show just because someone likes torturing me."

In a news report about his segment, KWWL wrote, "No Woodley's were harmed in the making of the morning newscast."

The video has been viewed over 21 million times on Twitter, with over 156,000 likes and over 26,000 retweets.

His clip got a lot of attention online, including from Rex Chapman, director Judd Apatow and comedian and actor David Cross.

Woodley told CNN Friday that the newscast was "just a bit of who I am."

"I thought maybe if I bring a little attitude to it, people will pay attention. Because it's a serious storm. I took it very seriously," he said.

Woodley admits he may not have complained as much had he gotten more sleep.

"I was running on about three hours of sleep at that time, and some of the things maybe I wouldn't have said if I had slept for eight hours, but, you know, it is what it is," he said.

While he said he would do it again if asked, Woodley admitted it would be his "absolute nightmare."

"I hope to God they do not ask me to ever do that again," he said.

Indiana Police Respond to Hundreds of Crashes

Hazardous road conditions contributed to hundreds of crashes in Indiana as Winter Storm Elliott brought snow and below-zero temperatures into the state.

By Friday afternoon, a spokesperson with the Indiana State Police (ISP) told local reporters that officers helped with nearly 600 vehicle incidents since the storm began. Of those incidents, the spokesperson said 245 were vehicle accidents that resulted in damage and 49 others caused injuries.

The Indiana National Guard was also helping state police respond to vehicle incidents on Friday, according to ISP Sgt. Glen Fifield. Troopers were on hand "to assist with assisting stranded drivers and moving disabled vehicles" in Lowell, Fifield said on Twitter.

Later Friday afternoon, Fifield reported that a semi-tanker rollover triggered a hazmat response along the eastbound I-94. People in the area were discouraged from traveling along that route as officials responded.

Further west in South Bend, a WNDU-TV reporter shared a video Friday showing snow blowing along a roadway in the early morning hours, resulting in poor visibility on the road.

In Indianapolis, ISP Sgt. John Perrine said Friday morning that officers had responded to more than 50 crashes in the last day as the storm system moved in. Nine of the 54 crashes reported in that time resulted in injuries, Perrine said.

Buffalo Airport Closes Amid Hazardous Conditions

The Buffalo Niagara International Airport has closed due to the winter storm conditions hitting western New York.

The airport announced it will close due to "hazardous weather conditions" just after 1:15 p.m. ET Friday afternoon. All flights in an out of the airport have been canceled.

This comes amid a blizzard warning in Niagara, Orleans, Erie, Chautauqua, and Genesee counties until 7 a.m. Sunday.

High wind and snow made visibility difficult and led to several road closures in western New York. The National Weather Service reported zero visibility at the airport before the closure announcement was made.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul urged residents to stay off the roads are conditions are expected to worsen into the evening. Dropping temperatures are expected to make roads and walkways "icy and extremely dangerous" she said in a tweet.

Memphis Pauses Rolling Blackouts

The city of Memphis, Tennessee will no longer be experiencing rolling blackouts to conserve power during the extreme cold temperatures.

On Friday, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) said old temperatures and high demand across service caused a "critical power supply situation" and issued a Step 50 Curtailment asking local power companies to reduce their total electrical load by five to 10 percent to avoid major outages.

To accomplish this, MLGW said it would implement system-wide "rolling blackouts" beginning at 11:30 a.m. But soon after the announcement was made, MLGW took to Twitter to say the Step 50 rolling blackouts have been paused.

MLGW then issued a follow up statement explaining that TVA rescinded the rolling blackouts. TVA is still asking customers to reduce their use of electricity as much as possible until further notice.

There are currently 99,701 customers in Tennessee without power, according to PowerOutage.us. About 19,300 of those experiencing outages are MLGW customers.

Service Disruptions for Amazon, FedEx, UPS, USPS

Several mail delivery services reported service interruptions on Friday due to the winter storm impacting much of the U.S.

The U.S. Postal Service cited the weather in office closings in Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. Offices were also closed due to flooding in Indiana, according to the USPS website.

Shortly before 10 a.m. ET on Friday, CNN reported that 89 post offices across the country had closed due to weather.

Some Amazon facilities in the U.S. were similarly closing due to the storm, according to WABC-TV. A spokesperson for Amazon told the station the closures were occurring "out of an abundance of caution." The Akron Beacon Journal reported Friday morning that at least one Amazon facility in Akron was believed to be closed due to the weather.

The winter storm was also impacting delivery drivers with FedEx. The company acknowledged the short time remaining until the Christmas holiday and said it is "implementing contingency measures where it is safe and possible to do so." The company said there might be delays for some deliveries scheduled for Friday and Saturday.

Some UPS air and ground deliveries were also experiencing delays. UPS said facilities in Louisville, Kentucky and Rockford, Illinois were among the UPS locations directly impacted.

"As a result, some delivery and pickup services in these areas will be affected," UPS said in a service disruption update on its website.

Over 4,400 Flights Canceled, 5,500 Delayed

More problems for travelers heading out for the holiday weekend, as hundreds more flights have been canceled today due to bad weather.

More than 4,400 flights within, into, or out of the United States have been canceled, as of 1:55 p.m. ET Friday, according to FlightAware. Some 5,500 other flights have been delayed just today.

Seattle-Tacoma International, Chicago O'Hare International, New York's LaGuardia and Denver International are among the airports with the most delays and cancellations, according to the flight tracking website.

Timelapse Video Shows Blizzard in South Dakota

A blizzard taking hold of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was captured in a timelapse video shared online as Winter Storm Elliott descended on most of the lower 48 states in the U.S.

The video shows cars along Sioux Falls streets as clouds quickly pass above. A dusting of snow can also be seen on the city rooftops as residents face freezing temperatures. The World Meteorological Organization, a United Nations agency, posted the video on Twitter Friday morning.

A meteorologist with The Weather Channel shared another video on Twitter Friday morning that was filmed a few states away. The video, credited to the Cincinnati-Covington EarthCam, showed steam fog flowing above the water along the Ohio River near the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine warned Ohioans on Thursday that the storm would impact "all" of the state's citizens. He is one of several governors who has discouraged people from venturing outside as the storm brings dangerously cold weather conditions.

Travel Bans Issued in Western New York

Travel bans have been issued in western New York as winter weather conditions are expected to worsen this weekend.

In Erie County, a travel ban took effect at 9:30 a.m. ET as the wind picks up and road conditions are "deteriorating rapidly," local officials said Friday.

Several state roads in the county are closed except to essential workers, according to the New York State Department of Transportation. A commercial vehicle ban is in effect on many state raods due to high wind, winter storm and blizzard warnings.

Wind gusts hit up to 79 mph in parts of the county, according to the National Weather Service station in Buffalo. Power outages are also impacting many areas in Erie County, the county department of emergency services said.

Travel advisories have also been issued in Niagara, Genesee and Orleans Counties.

In the city of Niagara Falls, police have issued a travel ban until further notice. This comes as Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency for Friday.

"This is going to be a powerful storm, but we'll get through it if New Yorkers heed warnings, take steps to prepare and exercise caution," she said in a tweet.

She said residents should avoid non-essential travel due to strong winds, rain, snow and rapidly declining temperatures.

Tops closed all of its stores in Erie and Niagara Counties Friday due to the forecasted "extreme weather conditions." All Wegmans in the counties will also be closed Friday at noon.

Travel conditions will worsen across the region Friday as rain, snow, wind, low temperatures and coastal flooding are expected around Lake Erie through Sunday, according to the NWS.

Lake effect snow band conditions are also expected in parts of southern and northern Erie countries, Orleans, Genesee, Niagara and Wyoming Counties.

The ban is accompanied by winds up to 70 mph "which can rapidly reduce visibility to near zero," the NWS Buffalo said.

Over 4,200 Flights Canceled, 4,600 Delayed

More than 4,200 flights heading into, leaving or traveling within the U.S. were canceled by early Friday afternoon amid Winter Storm Elliott, according to FlightAware.

The total number of canceled flights in the U.S. reached 4,212 shortly before 1 p.m. ET. Another 4,652 flights in the U.S. had been delayed by the early afternoon, the flight tracking website reports.

On Thursday, FlightAware reported a total of 2,688 canceled flights and 11,349 delayed flights in the U.S. Looking ahead to the rest of the holiday weekend, 231 Saturday flights have already been canceled and three have been canceled for Sunday.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said Thursday that many travelers will encounter difficulties this holiday weekend due to the winter storm. He encouraged people to check in with their airlines for flight updates, prepare to arrive at airports early and have backup plans in case their travel is disrupted.

Kentucky Reports at Least 3 Storm-Related Deaths

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said Friday that at least three weather-related deaths have been reported in his state as Winter Storm Elliott settles in over much of the contiguous U.S.

Beshear first announced two weather-related deaths during a Friday morning press briefing.

"We've now lost, we believe, two Kentuckians to this arctic storm," Beshear said at the time. "We lost one in a vehicle accident in Western Kentucky, and I believe we've lost one housing insecure individual in Louisville."

Beshear announced reports of a third weather-related death "on our roads" a short time later on Twitter.

Beshear warned residents during his briefing of the "dangerously cold temperatures" and "treacherous" road conditions. He pleaded with Kentuckians to stay inside and avoid driving amid the conditions.

"It is too dangerous to be outside today," he said. "Stay off the roads."

Members of the Kentucky National Guard were assisting drivers who got stuck Friday. Kentuckians can get weather information and traffic updates on SnowKY.KY.Gov.

In addition to the three weather-related deaths reported in Kentucky, Kansas City police said a person died in a vehicle accident on Thursday, according to The Kansas City Star. The driver was believed to have lost control of their minivan on an icy road, after which the vehicle crashed into a creek and was submerged in freezing water.

Overnight Rain Brings Flooding From New Jersey to Maine

In addition to freezing temperatures, wind and ice, the winter storm is also bringing coastal flooding to parts of the country.

Across New England, heavy rain overnight has led to flooding of several roadways.

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation shared a video of Poppasquash Road in Bristol, warning travelers not to drive through floodwaters. Several roads have been closed in the state due to high tide and storm surge as crews work to clear crashes on roadways.

Massachusetts State Police reported numerous coastal flooding leading to closures on the "Nahant Causeway, the Lynnway at Market St, and Lynn Shore Drive at the Swampscott line."

In the Boston area, a stretch of Winthrop Parkway in Revere was closed as a floodgate was engaged, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation said.

Massachusetts State Police warned of closures along the North Shore, including in Lynn and the Nahant Causeway.

Flooding also hit the streets of Portland, Maine as water levels at docks rose to road levels.

The National Weather Service in Caribou, Maine reported "significant waves and some coastal flooding."

"Even though high tide will pass soon, that does not mean conditions are safe along the coast," the NWS said in a tweet. "Please continue to respect the waves and do not approach the tide line."

Areas of Milford and Mystic Connecticut were also flooded.

Coastal flooding has also been seen on the south shore of Long Island, New York.

In New Jersey, areas along rivers and down the shore coasts are experience severe flooding.

Officials in Atlantic City are urging travelers to not drive through flood waters on the road.

Firefighters pulled six people out of their flooded homes in Manasquan, NJ, where one home had at least one foot of water, according to News 12 New Jersey.

Train services in and out of NJ Transit's Hoboken Terminal have been delayed up to 30 minutes due to high water conditions.

Denver Mayor Says 'Not Safe' to Be Outdoors

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock is urging residents to stay indoors to avoid exposure to chilly temperatures amid Winter Storm Elliott.

"It is not safe for anyone to be outdoors," Hancock told CNN on Friday.

As the storm approached on Thursday, Hancock instructed residents to "use extreme caution" if they must go outside. He alerted residents about warming shelters in the area as the city battles what he described on Twitter as "extreme temperatures."

Temperatures in Denver were hovering around 0 degrees by midday Friday, but feels even colder with the wind chill.

Warming shelters will remain open 24/7 in Denver through Saturday. More information regarding where those shelters are located is on the city's website.

Nearly 1.2 Million Customers Without Power Across U.S.

Nearly 1.2 million customers throughout the U.S. are without power Friday as the large winter storm moves across the country.

According to PowerOutage.us, over 1.18 million customers are without power.

These are the outages broken down by region:

• New England — 356,365 outages
• Southeast — 326,963 outages
• Mid-Atlantic — 334,686 outages
• South — 264,772 outages
• Great Lakes — 85,018 outages
• Pacific — 34,558 outages
• Midwest — 13,573 outages
• Territories — 7,929 outages
• Mountain — 663 outages

In North Carolina, there are over 194,000 customers without power.

More than 116,000 customers in Virginia, over 107,000 in Tennessee and nearly 90,000 in Connecticut and New York are also without power.

Flights at Several Airports Grounded Due to Ice, Wind

Flights have been grounded at several airports across the U.S. Friday due to ice and wind on the runways, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

At Charlotte Douglas International, departures are grounded due to wind.

Departures out of Seattle-Tacoma International and Portland International are grounded due to snow or ice.

Since announcing Friday morning that their runways are closed indefinitely, the Seattle-Tacoma Airport announced that one runway has been opened as crews continue working to de-ice surfaces.

"Limited operations will continue to be weather dependent as safety is always our main priority," the airport said in a tweet.

Denver International, Memphis International and Ronald Reagan Washington National have grounded departures are grounded due to other, non-specified reasons.

Minneapolis-St Paul International, Dallas/Ft Worth International and Port Columbus International are also reportedly deicing to remove snow and ice.

MBS International Airport in Freeland, Michigan and the Wood County Airport Gill Robb Wilson Field at the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport have been closed

The FAA is advising travelers check their flight status with their airline before the head to the airport.

Flight Cancellations Top 3,600 Across U.S.

Severe winter weather is causing more havoc today for travelers ahead of the holiday weekend.

More than 3,600 flights have been canceled and another 2,600 others delayed and within, into or out of the United States by 10:30 a.m. ET Friday, according to flight tracker FlightAware.

Nearly 40 percent of all flights in or out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and about 30 percent of all flights in and out of New York's LaGuardia Airport have been canceled.

At Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport, 70 percent of departing flights and 62 percent of incoming flights have been canceled.

About 64 percent of flights leaving Buffalo Niagara International Airport and 73 percent of flights coming into Buffalo Niagara have also been canceled, the sit reports.

More Flights Canceled at Chicago O'Hare

More flights are being canceled at the Chicago O'Hare International Airport, as Winter Storm Elliott continues its path east.

"In anticipation of winter weather arriving to the Chicagoland area, airlines at O'Hare have proactively canceled nearly 540 flights," the airport tweeted Thursday afternoon around 3:15 p.m. ET.

O'Hare was among the top U.S. airports with flight delays and cancellations due to the storm Thursday, according to FlightAware.

The Chicago Department of Aviation expects some 2.9 million travelers at O'Hare and Midway International Airports between December 21 and January 2.

Snow is now falling in Chicago, reducing visibility in some areas.

Storm Impacting Florida Airports

Winter Storm Elliott was impacting airports in Florida on Thursday as flights traveling to other states were canceled or delayed.

Some travelers at Miami International Airport (MIA) told WPLG-TV that the airlines were being flexible with moving flights due to the extenuating weather circumstances.

Before the storm's onset, MIA was anticipating a record 2.5 million travelers from December 21 through January 6, a number that the airport said represents a 1.5 percent increase over the number of travelers recorded at the same time one year earlier. MIA flagged Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week as the busiest travel days within that window.

On Thursday afternoon, MIA urged travelers to arrive three hours or more before their flight was scheduled to take off. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg also urged air travelers this week to allow for extra time due to anticipated flight delays and cancellations as Winter Storm Elliott spreads over much of the contiguous U.S.

By 4:30 p.m. ET, 12 flights at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) had been cancelled and 150 were delayed, according to FlightAware. FLL was expecting about 1.6 million travelers over a two-week period beginning on December 21.

Storm to Impact Key Air Travel Hubs

Winter Storm Elliott will impact key travel hubs across the country, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said.

Buttigieg addressed the approaching storm and the ways in which the weather is expected to affect holiday travelers. As of 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, more than 2,100 flights going into, leaving or traveling within the U.S. had been cancelled, and thousands more were delayed.

Speaking with MSNBC's Morning Joe, Buttigieg said there were "minimal disruptions" during the week of Thanksgiving, but "unfortunately, it's not going to be that way heading into Christmas."

With many major cities expected to feel impacts from the storm, Buttigieg urged travelers to check in frequently with their airlines to keep track of flight status updates. People should also have backup plans in case their travel is disrupted, he said.

As the winter storm settles in over much of the contiguous U.S., Buttigieg said the FAA will be providing flight updates on its website.

"Nobody can control the weather. That's definitely going to be causing some disruptions," he said.

Over 2,100 Flights Canceled Across US

More than 2,000 flights across the U.S. have been canceled as of Thursday afternoon amid Winter Storm Elliott.

As of 3:30 p.m. ET, 2,148 flights traveling into, out of or within the U.S. were cancelled, according to FlightAware. Another 5,778 have also been delayed.

Several airlines warned earlier this week that they might be cancelling flights due to the storm's anticipated impacts. State highway patrol officials have been taking to social media to urge people to also avoid road travel when possible as weather conditions in some areas trigger whiteouts and blizzard conditions.

Earlier Thursday, President Joe Biden said the winter weather alerts impacting most of the contiguous U.S. were "very serious," with temperatures in some areas bringing "dangerous and threatening" conditions.

Biden urged Americans to "heed the local warnings" and keep track of the storm's progress for the latest information on weather advisories.

WATCH: Ohio Governor Holds Press Conference

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is holding a press conference ahead of Winter Storm Elliott hitting the state this weekend.

DeWine is expected to be joined by Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jack Marchbanks, Ohio Emergency Management Agency Executive Director Sima Merick and Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Charles A. Jones.

The press conference is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. ET, watch live here.

Over 112 Million People Under Weather Warnings

More than 112 million people in the U.S. were under winter weather alerts by Thursday afternoon as Americans across the country braced for the onset of Winter Storm Elliott.

The storm is expected to bring blizzard conditions in some areas, with most of the contiguous U.S. expected to be impacted by cold weather in some way.

By 1:30 p.m. ET, The Weather Channel reported some 112.6 million people are under some sort of winter weather advisory. A graphic shared by The Weather Channel showed more than 60.4 million people under a winter storm warning and more than 4.9 million others under a winter storm watch. Nearly 38 million people were facing a winter weather advisory.

Thousands more people were battling wind chill warnings and advisories.

At Least Three Deaths Blamed on Storm

At least three deaths were linked to worsening weather conditions by Thursday morning as states across the U.S. braced for Winter Storm Elliott.

Kansas Highway Patrol trooper Ben Gardner said in a Thursday morning tweet that state troopers had responded to three fatal crashes Wednesday evening. Gardner told The Weather Channel that the crashes, which occurred in Lindsborg, Belleview and close to Junction City, were considered to be weather related.

In addition to the three fatalities in Kansas, another weather-related death reportedly occurred in Oregon earlier this week, according to The Weather Channel.

State, local and federal officials have urged caution heading into the winter storm, which is expected to last through the holiday weekend. Gardner and other highway patrol officers across the U.S. encouraged people in travel-impacted areas to stay home when possible and avoid unnecessary travel.

Texas Power Grid 'Absolutely Prepared'

Texas' state power grid is "absolutely prepared" ahead of the winter storm as the holiday weekend approaches, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said.

"The State of Texas is ready to fully and robustly respond to the severe cold weather event expected to impact Texas this holiday week, and our state's electrical grid is absolutely prepared to meet demand over the course of this storm," Abbott said during a briefing Wednesday.

The anticipated freezing temperatures in Texas have raised concerns about the ability of the state's power grid to keep up with demand. Nearly two years ago, Texas battled blackouts during a February 2021 winter storm that wiped out power to millions of homes and businesses for days. More than 240 deaths were also attributed to the storm, according to The Texas Tribune.

As weather maps indicated cities in Texas would face some of the toughest challenges during Winter Storm Elliott, meteorologists predicted the state's power grid would be "tested again."

State emergency officials will be in "close coordination with local leaders" through the storm's duration, Abbott said. His office warned residents to brace for wind chill, freezing temperatures and high winds.

ERCOT, the organization that operates Texas' power grid, "will be staffed around-the-clock" through the storm, state officials said. ERCOT keeps track of current grid conditions on its website to reflect surges in demand and electricity availability.

Shortly after noon CT on Thursday, ERCOT's grid gauge said it was operating under "normal conditions" and had "enough power for current demand."

Air Temperature of -50°F Recorded in Elk Park, Montana

Parts of Montana are waking up to record-breaking low temperatures this morning as a massive storm moves across the state.

Great Falls, Montana broke a 130 year-old record Thursday, at -32°F.

"So far, it has been down to -32 [°F] in Great Falls since midnight," the National Weather Service in Great Falls tweeted Thursday. "This breaks the previous daily record of -27, set in 1892."

At 8:30 a.m. Thursday, new record lows for today's date were recorded in Lincoln, MT and at the Bozeman airport, dipping to -49°F and -44°F, respectively.

Elk Park, Montana has the coldest air temperature recording in North-Central and Southwest Montana Thursday, at -50°F, according to the National Weather Service in Great Falls. The wind chill is making it feel even colder.

Several other areas across the region were sitting between -35°F and -40°F air temperature early Thursday.

Videos Show Whiteout Conditions in Wyoming

Videos show whiteout conditions in Wyoming, prompting travel warnings for drivers across the state.

One video showed what appears to be blowing snow across a Cheyenne highway. The video was shared by a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper Wednesday evening.

"Current conditions outside of Cheyenne are -18 with zero visibility," the post said. "Please stay home if you don't have to travel."

In another video posted Wednesday evening, a barely-visible Wyoming Highway Patrol vehicle is sitting behind what looks like snow flying sideways in gusting wind.

"Nope, the Trooper didn't make a wrong turn and end up in Antarctica," Wyoming Highway Patrol said on Facebook.

Over the previous 12 hours, the Wyoming Highway Patrol said troopers responded to more than 700 service calls, more than 100 crashes and nearly 200 other calls for drivers in need of help.

Satellite Captures Storm Move Across US

Satellite imagery captured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) showed Winter Storm Elliott moving into the U.S. on December 21 as most of the country braced for temperatures to drop.

The satellite imagery shared by the NOAA showed the storm marching east across the U.S., with weather flares spotted off Florida's coast.

The storm, which weather experts say could turn into a "bomb cyclone," is already disrupting holiday travel and is expected to continue impacting travel conditions in large parts of the contiguous U.S. through the weekend. Parts of the Midwest could face blizzard conditions, and freezing temperatures are expected from the eastern U.S. through parts of the West Coast.

Over 1,700 Flights Canceled Across U.S.

Winter Storm Elliott is causing major travel issues across the U.S. ahead of the busy holiday weekend, with some 1,700 flights already canceled Thursday morning.

As of 11:25 a.m. ET, 1,701 flights within, into, or out of the U.S. have been canceled, according to FlightAware. Another 2,487 flights have been delayed.

The most delays and cancellations are in Chicago and Denver, according to the flight tracking site.

"In anticipation of winter weather arriving to the Chicagoland area later today, airlines at O'Hare have proactively canceled nearly 470+ flights," Chicago O'Hare International Airport tweeted late Thursday morning.

"For the most up-to-date flight info, please check directly w/ your carrier."