Over 1,400 flights canceled as major winter storm threatens to produce historic snowfall

More than 1,400 flights within, to and out of the United States were canceled Wednesday as severe weather wreaked havoc with massive storms threatening to bring record snowfall across America.

Residents across the northern Plains will be hunkering down as the storm hits, with schools across the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin announcing closures ahead of the severe weather system, which is expected to affect millions while California contends with strong winds and sweeping power outages.

The National Weather Service issued winter storm, blizzard and high-wind advisories for swaths of the western and the north-central U.S., with up to 2 feet of snow expected in some areas through Thursday.

Officials have also warned residents to stay off the roads because of potential “whiteout” conditions.

In normally sunny Southern California, blizzard warnings were issued for mountain regions of northern Los Angeles County, the first such alerts in more than 30 years.

At least 2,770 flights, within, into or out of the United States, were delayed mid-afternoon Wednesday, according to the online flight tracker FlightAware.

There were more than 1,434 U.S. flight cancellations by 2 p.m. EST, and at least 416 of those called-off journeys were related to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. At least 243 cancellations were listed out of Denver International Airport.

The arrival of a large arctic air mass from Canada “interacting with an energetic upper-level pattern and multiple frontal systems forecast to move through the country this week will bring numerous weather hazards,” the weather service said.

Widespread heavy snow is expected to continue across the West and the northern tier of the country, with total snowfall of 1 to 2 feet expected for most of the mountain ranges across…