'It's a mess:' Hundreds of travelers impacted by major winter storm

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- More than 300,000 people are without power and thousands of flights have been canceled just south of Wisconsin.

Seven states have declared a state of emergency, expecting almost 20 inches of snow.

A dozen more flights are canceled or delayed here in Milwaukee due to the storm.

On Monday, multiple flights to Chicago, Dallas, and even Florida are delayed by a few hours.

"It's a mess, it's a mess," said Kevin Malone, traveler.

Departure boards at Mitchell International on Monday showed the one thing no flyer wants to see: a delay, or worse, a canceled flight.

"We got a text saying it's been delayed almost three hours," said Jay, a traveler heading to Florida.

For traveler Kevin Sullivan, his original flight was supposed to take off at five in the morning.

"We got an email saying it would be delayed until 12:55," said Sullivan.

However, his flight kept getting delayed.

"It was looking like it was out of D.C., and they got hit pretty good this morning," said Sullivan.

An airport spokesperson says operations are normal.

The airlines dictate whether a flight will be canceled or delayed.

Southwest Airlines issued a statement on Monday stating, "We are preemptively managing our schedule to match reduced capacity at airports affected by Winter Storm Blair.

Kevin Malone arrived in Milwaukee Monday morning for business.

"We circled around for a little bit, 20 minutes or so they were waiting to clear the runway," Malone explained.

He's been waiting for the rest of his team for more than two hours.

"They're flying in from all over. We got guys stuck in Chicago, stuck in Philly; 'tis the season, I guess," said Malone.

While waiting at the airport is a nightmare for some, Sullivan says it hasn't been all bad.

"Just been hanging out, meeting different people, met some from my hometown of Iron Mountain, Michigan, and another couple from Milwaukee going to Fort Myers," said Sullivan.

According to the U.S. National Weather Service, the winter storm will end Tuesday around 1 a.m.