Hundreds of flights were cancelled at Denver International Airport, Colorado on Nov. 17 as a massive winter storm released its wrath bringing up to eight inches of snow and strong winds of up to 60 mph.
The winter storm descended on the state Monday night and was expected to cover Rocky Mountains as tornadoes were reported in Texas and Nebraska. By Tuesday morning, flights were cancelled as abundance of precaution due to strong winds.
"Delays will be possible as the Federal Aviation Administration slows traffic into Denver during the storm," airport spokesman Heath Montgomery said.
At around 5 a.m., he said that the gusty winds and snow filled up the runways but the airport crew members are working overtime to clear them. A total of 145 flights within, into, or out of the United States were all cancelled.
Flights may pursue on Wednesday as Denver International Airport posts that though the snow continues, its snow teams are making them ready for upcoming flights.
Snow continues but looking good on the runways as snow teams ready for morning flights - get here early #COwx
— Denver Int'l Airport (@DENAirport) November 17, 2015
The National Weather Service also reports that the strong storm system will bring a variety of weather hazards to central U.S. with strong storms expected in the south, snow storm in central High Plains and possibility of flooding to the Gulf Coast.
"Travel will be difficult to impossible at times across Northern El Paso County this morning. Strong winds will combine with heavy snow and will reduce visibilities to less than ¼ of a mile. Significant drifting snow is likely," the National Weather Service posted in its blizzard warning advisory and air quality alert last updated on Nov. 17, 4:05 a.m.
Snow accumulation of up to 14 inches is expected in some areas.
"It looks like it will start to clear between 9 a.m. and lunchtime," meteorologist Todd Dankers said.
"There will, however, be gusty winds through most of the day," he added.
The blizzard storm stemmed out from the Gulf of Alaska induced by the currently experienced El Nino, an ocean-warming phenomenon that was expected to bring heavy rains to the West in the coming months.
"It's the beginning of the winter season. We want storms. We want rain. We've been projecting that we're going to have a wet winter and this is a sign that it's going to happen," Kathy Hoxsie of the National Weather Service said.
