Winter weather warnings for 5 million people as snow continues to fall in northern states

Affected areas could see 1 to 2 inches of snow per hour fall Monday, reducing visibility and creating potentially hazardous conditions. Temperatures will be 10 to 15 degrees below average in parts of the Plains, the Ohio Valley and the Mid-Atlantic, the National Weather Service said.

An arctic blast swept through northern states on Sunday, bringing dangerous conditions to the Northern Plains, the Midwest and the Great Lakes on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

A ban on buses, commercial vehicles and semi-trucks ended at 2 a.m. ET, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said on X.

State police in a life-saving rescue

A 64-year-old woman heading for a heart transplant had to be rescued by New York State Troopers after she became stranded on a snowy highway. The woman was driven by her husband from Rochester to Cleveland for the critical procedure, her heart kept running by a battery-operated pump. The husband was able to contact a nurse in Cleveland who raised the alarm with state police.

Officers took her to a local hospital before she was flown to Cleveland for a transplant.

“The actions of the Soldiers, medical personnel and transportation teams highlight how critical teamwork and quick thinking can save lives, even in the face of severe weather conditions,” New York State Police said in a statement.

During the winter weather from Thanksgiving through Sunday, the agency said it provided assistance to 111 disabled vehicles and investigated 82 property damage collisions and seven injury collisions.