A wallop of wet snow and fog Friday at Denver International Airport has delayed or canceled more than 580 flights.
DIA airlines had delayed 576 flights and canceled six as of 1 p.m., according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.
Travelers on Southwest Airlines faced 280 delays. United reported 126 delays, and SkyWest had 74. Frontier reported 31 delays, and Delta had 22.
National Weather Service forecasters measured the 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 1 hour and 4 minutes,” an FAA bulletin stated.
DIA officials at noon said surface temperatures were above freezing, allowing snow to melt, but added that “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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