Wintry Blast Over Midwest Bound For Tri-State

NEWARK, N.J. (CBS NewYork) -- From flight cancellations to the rare postponement of a Giants football game, the extreme winter weather striking the Midwest is affecting the Tri-State as well, CBS 2's Jay Dow reports.

Around 17 inches of snow fell in 18 hours, the fifth heaviest snowfall in Twin Cities history. It was enough to deflate the hopes of stranded airport travelers.

"We tried to catch an earlier flight, hoping to get out before the weather set in too severely, before they shut the airport down. We weren't fast enough," one airline passenger said.

The 9.5 acre inflated roof at the Minneapolis Metrodome wasn't strong enough. The weight of the snow was enough to collapse it, exposing the once-sheltered field to the elements and making it no longer a viable option for the game between the New York Giants and the Vikings.

The Giants, stranded in Kansas City, were unable to get to Minneapolis anyway because the airport shut down for the first time in 19-years. Big Blue's game against the Minnesota Vikings will be played tonight in Detroit.

The big question is will that nasty Midwest weather head our way?

So far, the answer is yes, but without the snow. The rain the Tri-State area has seen the past few days is just a preview for a drastic drop in temperatures later Monday.

Winds will increase throughout the day Monday and temperatures will fall to about 34 degrees by sundown. There is a chance of flurries as the day gets colder.

Tuesday will be partly sunny, windy and much colder. The high will be 28 but the real feel temperatures will be in the single digits and teens.