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Jan. 14 (UPI) -- A severe winter storm continued to batter the country Sunday, with dangerously cold temperatures, high winds and blizzard conditions wreaking havoc on flights, political events, and even football games. The storm is predicted to continue into next week.
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Another relentless blast of Arctic air is expected to descend on the Midwest and northern Great Plains states bringing hazardous conditions by midweek.
The National Football League rescheduled its wildcard playoff game between the Bills and Steelers, which was scheduled to be played Sunday in Buffalo. It was scratched after a complete travel ban by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul due to "potentially life-threatening blizzard-like conditions" in the area.
It could be moved again depending on what happens with the weather.
"My top priority is to keep New Yorkers safe, and this winter storm continues to pose a life and safety risk," Hochul said in a news release. "While there are some areas that are no longer experiencing whiteout conditions, much of Erie County remains unsafe for motorists."
The state urged residents of Western New York to stay home, as travel can be "impossible and dangerous" in areas impacted by the storm as conditions fluctuate. Residents should also prepare for possible power outages, Hochul's office warned.
As of Saturday evening, more than 1,200 flights across the country were canceled, and 4,700 flights were delayed, according to data from tracking site FlightAware. Though that's down from nearly 2,300 cancellations and 9,000 delays Friday, airports across the Midwest and Northeast continue to experience major travel delays.
In Michigan, there are more than 140,000 customers without power.
Detroit's Metropolitan Wayne County Airport has delayed 40% of its outgoing flights. Buffalo Niagara International Airport in New York has canceled 60%.
Chicago, Denver and Boston airports are also experiencing flight holdups. Nearly 550 flights going in and out of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport have been postponed. Denver International Airport, where temperatures Saturday evening dropped to zero, had the second-largest number of cancellations.
Iowa's first-in-the-nation Republican presidential caucuses, in which people gather in church basements, fire stations and other public locations to show their presidential preference, are still a go. But a host of candidate campaign events leading up to Monday's caucuses have been canceled. After receiving up to a foot of snow, Des Moines is forecast to have wind chills between minus 20 and minus 30 tomorrow. It is expected to be the coldest caucus on record.
Nearly two feet of snow blanketed Iowa between Monday and Friday, making it among the snowiest stretches in state history. Hundreds of churches closed their doors Sunday as a result of the dangerous weather.
A wind chill warning has been issued for most of Iowa noon Tuesday and temperatures are not expected to be above zero until Wednesday when the wind will make it continue to feel much colder.
Des Moines struggled to a high of just -7 on Sunday, and the wind chill there is expected to stay at -30 or colder.
Nearly every state across the lower 48 had some form of weather warning over the past several days and the threat persists. Millions of people nationwide remain under a winter weather advisory with dangerous conditions expected to extend at least into midweek.
