By Chantal Da Silva -
NBC News
Nearly 1,000 flights in, out and within the United States were canceled Tuesday because of an ice storm that battered parts of the southern part of the country.
The storm concentrated in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, leaving the region hardest hit by travel problems, with 288 flights canceled at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, according to online flight tracker FlightAware.
American Airlines and Southwest Airlines serve the area, and at least 319 Southwest flights and 308 American flights had been canceled by early Tuesday morning.
At least 90 Southwest flights were delayed, while 29 American Airlines flights were also listed as delayed, according to FlightAware.
The ice storm was expected to be "prolonged and significant" and to "continue to affect a wide area from the southern Plains to the Tennessee Valley," according to the National Weather Service.
[They fear that the computer failure that paralyzed flights in the US will cause "domino effects"]
The “dangerous” ice storm is expected to continue into at least the early hours of Thursday, bringing cold air, freezing rain and sleet, along with travel chaos and delays.
"A total accumulation of ice greater than 0.25" is likely from west Texas to western Tennessee, with localized areas receiving up to 0.75," according to the National Weather Service.
That amount of ice could result in hazardous travel conditions, along with tree damage and scattered power outages across the hardest-hit regions.
Soldiers from the 142nd Field Artillery Brigade in Lowell, Arkansas, prepare as inclement weather lashes the region, Jan. 30, 2023.Arkansas National Guard
Sleet accumulations of about a half inch or more are also possible from West Texas to Arkansas, which the weather service said could lead to "treacherous" travel conditions.
Ice storm warnings, winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories have been issued in the affected areas, advising travelers to check road conditions before heading anywhere and to drive with extreme caution.
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The cold air mass bringing chill to the Mid-South is also expected to bring well-below-average temperatures and wind chills across the central and western United States, according to the weather service.
Wind chill watches and advisories have been issued for the central and northern plains, as well as parts of the intermountain west.
