Snow at DIA delays, cancels more than 600 flights
A wallop of wet snow and fog Friday at Denver International Airport has delayed or canceled more than 575 flights.
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A wallop of wet snow and fog Friday at Denver International Airport has delayed or canceled more than 600 flights.
DIA airlines had delayed 600 flights and canceled nine shortly before 3 p.m., according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.
Travelers on Southwest Airlines faced 231 delays. United reported 170 delays, and SkyWest had 103. Frontier reported 29 delays, American Airlines 22, and Delta 21.
National Weather Service forecasters measured the noon temperature around DIA at 30 degrees, with 15-mile-per-hour wind and visibility at 10 miles. More potentially heavy snow is expected to hit metro Denver Friday night and Saturday.
Snow showers on Thursday delayed more than 800 flights at DIA.
In addition to snow and ice on Friday, runway construction at DIA contributed to delays under a travel management plan for arriving flights, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. “This is causing some arriving flights to be delayed an average of 31 minutes,” an FAA bulletin stated.
DIA officials said surface temperatures around noon were above freezing, letting snow melt, but “the snowfall rate may overpower surface temperatures” and create slush that would have to be removed.
Airport officials advised travelers to check with airlines about delays, arrive inside DIA at least two hours before scheduled boarding times, and anticipate waiting for aircraft ice removal.
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