Bomb Cyclone: 200 Million People Experience Artic Chill Halting Holiday Travel

A powerful, and windy winter storm — dubbed a "bomb cyclone" due to the plummeting barometric pressure — is blasting its way across the U.S. and Canada. affecting over 200 million people ahead of the year's busiest travel days.

As of 9:17 a.m. CST Friday morning — 2,421 flights into, or out of the U.S. have been delayed, with 3,616 total cancellations for flights within, into, or out of the U.S, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.

The hardest hit airport, as of Friday, is Seattle-Tacoma International, with 212 canceled, and 34 delayed flights.

Read also: Powerful Winter Storm Gushes Out Holiday Plans For Several Americans

Next, is New York’s LaGuardia airport with 190 canceled, and 32 delayed flights, followed by Chicago’s O'Hare International with 173 canceled, and 92 delayed flights.

"Widespread record low maximum temperature values are possible Friday from the Lower Mississippi Valley, northeastward into the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys and stretching across large sections of the east from the Southeast, through the Southern to Central Appalachians and into the Mid-Atlantic on Friday," the National Weather Service said in a Friday morning update.

Stocks To Watch: The winter storm could discourage last-minute in-person holiday shopping, negatively impacting retailers' critical holiday quarter sales. Department store stocks like Target Corporation TGT, and Macy’s Inc M may take a hit.

Residential generator stock Generac Holdings Inc. GNRC, and Pioneer Power Solutions, Inc. PPSI can see a lift.

Ski resort operator Vail Resorts, Inc. MTN could also see a jump in profits from a cold, snowy winter.

In Photos

The wintery storm has brought out the shovels, and cell phones this year as many people took to social media, documenting the historic storm.

Image via Jack Plant on Unsplash