MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport was filled with frustrated travelers Thursday.
“We’ve seen by mid-day about 350 cancellations and a couple hundred delays,” airport spokesman Patrick Hogan says.
The snow is certainly playing a role in those cancellations, but Hogan says the wind has been an even bigger problem.
“Planes have to land and take-off in the wind. There are also issues with de-icing. The wind gets so strong that at times the airlines aren’t able to de-ice the aircraft,” Hogan says.
Most of the day the airport was down to just one of its four runways.
“It’s a very rough day for us,” Hogan explains.
Rough on airline workers, but also a rough day for passengers.
"Our flight this afternoon was cancelled,” Sheri Harms says.
Harms and her family were on their way to a wedding in Washington D.C. when they found out their flight was cancelled.
She knew about the storm ahead of time but decided to risk it and hope for the best.
"Cousins are getting married. You do what you gotta do," Harms says.
Her children are all on their way, each of them on different planes, but Harms herself spent Thursday afternoon waiting for a seat to open up.
"My sister-in-law texted me and was upset that her flight was 25 minutes delayed. I wasn't having any of that,” Harms laughs.
“I just have to hope everything is going to be with us. I’m number two on the standby list, so, that’s what we’re hoping for.”
The wind is also breaking down power lines.
Xcel Energy says at one point nearly 23,000 of its customers were without power in Minnesota and the Dakotas.
And that's just one many power companies operating in the state.
Believe it or not though, there's someone having a worse day than them.
“There was a tree on my car,” North Minneapolis resident Ladimer Loftus says.
Neighbors say the tree came down around 7:00 a.m. Thursday.
Loftus says his car is a total loss.
"I knew the winds were blowing but I didn't expect this tree to snap like it did."
Most people would be upset about losing their car, but Loftus says he’s just relieved it didn’t fall on his truck.
“It is what it is you know. Things happen.”
