A deadly snowstorm swept throughout the Midwest and beyond, leaving behind at least seven people confirmed dead. While it brought in much-needed rain for drought-plagued areas, it was certainly bad news for Christmas commuters as highways were blocked and airlines were forced to delay their flights. Airlines have responded by providing flexible rebooking policies for those scheduled to fly right into the storm.

This storm has been held responsible for deaths within at least five states. Parts of Wisconsin and Iowa were hit with over a foot of snow. The particular weather condition did not wait for the official beginning of the season, which was set for today, as blizzard-like conditions have been reported from Kansas to Wisconsin. Throughout the South, high winds produced by the very same storm system created tornado damage and alerts in Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana, according to the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).

"The blizzard and heavy snowfall that are affecting the Midwest area up to the Great Lakes," as stated by a representative from the National Weather Service, "is expected to continue throughout the evening of Thursday and will finally begin to calm down by Friday."

But light snowfall is still expected in a large area from New England to the Ohio Valley, forecasters said.