Biden to be briefed on massive winter storm

President Biden on Thursday will be briefed on the major winter storm and cold blast set to impact the majority of the U.S. ahead of Christmas.

The briefing, which will take place in the Oval Office, will be at 10:15 a.m. The White House has not said who will be briefing the president, but the winter storm system traversing the U.S. and its impacts will be discussed.

The upcoming Christmas weekend is expected to be the coldest in decades in most states.

The Midwest is already experiencing an arctic blast of cold, as well as heavy snow and wind. Millions of people in the Upper Midwest and the Plains have been placed under blizzard and winter weather warnings.

Temperatures across the central High Plains plummeted 50 degrees in a few hours on Thursday and authorities are concerned about power outages and Americans traveling in those conditions.

As of Thursday morning, more than 1,200 U.S.-based flights have been canceled. 

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Wednesday that travel around this Christmas holiday could be riddled with disruptions.

“We had a great Thanksgiving week with minimal disruptions,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s not going to be that way heading into Christmas.”

“We have not just a large portion of the country affected by these winter storms, but that includes some of the key hubs for many of our airlines,” he added.