Salt Lake City International Airport breaking winter records
Apr 6, 2023, 4:00 PM | Updated: Jan 5, 2024, 11:22 am
Dozens of flights are canceled or delayed as a winter storm moves through Utah on Feb. 22, 2023. (Salt Lake International Airport)
(Salt Lake International Airport)
SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake City International Airport is experiencing record-breaking temperature lows and snowfall, creating some icy conditions.
The airport has had the most amount of snow in April since 1928 and it’s only the sixth day of the month.
Additionally, the SLC airport is the coldest it has ever been since 1922, at a maximum of 33 degrees.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, weather is the largest cause of flight delays. The FAA reported that bad weather caused 75% of delays over 15 minutes, across the U.S. over the last six years.
But the Director of Operations for the SLC Airport, Trevor Anderson, said the airport has processes to prevent snow and ice from delaying operations by treating runways and taxiways with a biodegradable de-icer.
“We really try and pin down when the storm is going to start,” said Anderson. “So that we can get out there and try to pretreat the surfaces while we can. Just to save us a little time before we actually have to bring the plows out.”
Over 150 employees and 60 pieces of equipment work to plow over 50 million square feet of land.
Anderson recommends travelers stay on top of the latest information to avoid trouble.
“Keep up to date on any messages or emails you get from your airline,” suggests Anderson. “You can also check your flight status on the airline’s website… That way you may not try to stress trying to get out to the airport when your flight may be delayed a little bit.”
