Stopping by the Airport on a Snowy Evening

Jan. 29, 2007 — -- We're getting fairly used to predicting the effects of a major snowstorm on aviation: airlines grounded, travelers stranded and sleeping on cots, schedules snarled and the whole mess directing TV correspondents and camera crews to the nearest terminal.

During the last several weeks, Denver's airport has been mentioned in countless stories after being shut down twice by major snowstorms. Other airports across the nation have had to scramble to stay ahead of record snowfalls and other winter-related challenges.

While it makes sense to think that snow or frigid weather equals outright cancellations (and maybe even heightened risk of accidents), what we've been experiencing is really more the exception than the rule.

Commercial aviation and most major airports are able to continue business as usual during most winter weather as long as the rules are followed and the airports themselves can stay ahead of the accumulation of snow.

The Denver episodes were an unusual case, partly because of the airport's vulnerable location on the prairies east of Denver, and partly because years ago the airport's designers -- in a stunning lack of foresight -- failed to build a commuter rail line between their distant, new airport and the city.

The result when bad snowstorms hit: a 10-mile strip of highway that's partially or totally shut down and a major airport essentially cut off from the rest of civilization, leaving passengers no way to get to or from the airfield.

This season, however, heavy snowfalls combined with inadequate snowplow capability -- and some very questionable planning -- to create a perfect storm. The result was disastrous for Frontier Airlines' flight operations, extremely disruptive for United and the cause of ruined holiday plans, stranded travelers and misplaced bags all across the nation. Snow can do that, but cold weather alone seldom shuts airports down.

Winter weather for aviators divides into several categories. First, there's cold weather without any snow or ice, and then there are the cold days when the air is full of various forms of frozen water. A further division involves the difference between ground operations and in-flight operations.