(WWJ) - Winter can certainly pack a punch without much snow, experts warned, as a 'once in a generation' arctic freeze and dangerous wind gusts slammed into Southeast Michigan early Friday morning — even if snow totals are less than earlier predicted.
The National Weather Service forecast at 7 a.m. updated accumulating snow totals to one to three inches throughout the day Friday with an additional one to two inches overnight and into Saturday.
But experts say don't be fooled into thinking this is a mild storm.
"This is going to be the heart of the winter storm today," WWJ AccuWeather Meteorologist Dean DeVore said. "Tonight and into tomorrow, strong winds could gust to 55 mph at times, blowing and drifting of the snow that's falling now. It's not a lot of snow. We've lowered the amounts to three to six inches for Metro Detroit with higher amounts to the west, but it's that cold, Real Feel 20 to 30 below [zero] that's going to be problematic in addition to the ice on of the roads as well."
According to the NWS, winds will peak late morning and into the evening hours on Friday. When mixed with plummeting temperatures, meteorologists warn the combination is creating "the most hazardous and life-threatening conditions."
"The combination of very strong winds with an arctic air mass is expected to result in wind chills of 10 to 20 degrees below zero today and Saturday," the NWS in Detroit forecasted.
The snow, while not as much as originally forecasted, is still going to be an major issue. The strong west winds will cause widespread blowing snow with the potential to reduce visibilities down to near white out conditions.
WWJ's Charlie Langton witnessed the blustering conditions while out on the roads earlier Friday morning and cautioned that it's not the “amount” of snow, it’s the “blowing snow."
"It's blowing right at me right now!" He said as the winds whipped around him in a post to social media. "Be careful, it's slippery. Look at this! Lots of blowing snow! That's the big problem today."
The storm, dubbed Elliot by the NWS, is causing a mess for travelers not only on the roads, but also at Detroit Metro Airport as it continues to howl eastward.
As of 9 a.m. Friday morning, there are more than 300 flights cancelled, including both flights leaving Detroit and coming in from other destinations. There are also 15 delays.
WWJ reporter Ryan Marshall was at Detroit Metro on Friday morning where he said frustrations were mounting among passengers stranded at Evans Terminal where they are waiting to make travel changes due to snow storm.
People can be seen all throughout the terminal sleeping and many families say they won’t make it out by Christmas.
"It is a snowstorm outside of Detroit Metro Airport right now, we all know that, but inside passengers here are dealing with a 'no-storm' — no flights, no movement, nowhere to sleep, no idea where they're getting out," Marshall said. "Passengers, well they're unhappy, and frantically trying to make alternative plans to get to their destinations."
Across the country, Flight Aware is reporting more than 5,000 cancellations and 6,000 delays. Ross Thompson, from Ontario, Canada, has been trying to fly from Detroit to a cruise in Florida with his wife, three daughters and his mother in law, but he told Marshall that they're growing frustrated after trying to board on three separate flights.
"Its been a bit of a tease because last night, Chicago got canceled and [the airline] told us we'd get on this this Nashville flight this morning," Thompson said. "So we slept over in the airport last night and then Nashville got canceled around 3 a.m. Then they put us on the Baltimore flight and it was pretty exciting, to get to Fort Lauderdale, and then within 20 minutes of moving us, it got canceled."
Officials say the best advice they can provide travelers flying over the holiday weekend is to check your flight status before leaving for the airport.
Impacts to travel are expected through the holiday weekend as a Winter Storm Warning impacts Southeast Michigan now through 4 a.m. Saturday.
Meteorologists warned that roadways will remain snow covered and slippery, while blowing of snow could result in rapid reduction of visibility to less than one mile.
"Motorists should remain aware of possible changes in driving conditions today and allow for extra time," the NWS cautioned. " If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency."
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WWJ LIVE for the latest updates to traffic and weather on the :08s