This is NBC Nightly News with Jose Diaz Ballard.

Good evening. We begin tonight with a powerful winter blast, putting millions of us on alert and causing major headaches during the busiest travel weekend of the year.

Much of the Midwest is getting hit with several inches of snow, in some cases, a foot or more.

On the roads, dangerous near white-out

conditions like this video out of Ohio are making the drive home tricky. And this is Indiana,

a massive chain reaction crash on a highway because of the treacherous conditions there.

There's basically no movement at some airports with the storm

canceling more than a thousand flights and causing long lines in Chicago. We have team coverage

tonight and we begin with Valerie Castro at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Winter weather hitting at the

heart of the holiday travel rush as many start heading home,

a winter chill settling in for 50 million people from Utah to upstate New York.

The Chicago area hit with several inches of snow.

Weather there bringing airports to a standstill with ground stops and delays lasting hours.

Stressful.

More than 1,000 cancellations at O'Hare Airport.

This family trying to get to Miami in time for a cruise,

a surprise for their mother's birthday.

It's been terrible.

We woke up.

The flight has been delayed three times.

We're just going to be stuck here and wait.

We've taken a chance.

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