One of the busiest travel seasons of the year got off to a very rough start as what the National Weather Service called a "particularly dangerous situation" snarled air traffic at major airports in Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Dallas and Washington, D.C.

The weather system, similar to what would be seen in early spring, spawned a series of tornadoes across the country's midsection, killing at least 10, injuring approximately 40 people and disrupting holiday travel for tens of thousands.

A massive twister that traveled at least 150 miles from northern Mississippi and across Tennessee did the most damage, but multiple tornadoes were reported in those states as well as Arkansas. The National Weather Service still needs to verify that the damage can be attributed to the single "long track" tornado, but if confirmed, it could be the longest single tornado on record in the mid-South according to the Memphis office of the weather service.