Ground stop at Denver International Airport amid hailstorm and tornado warnings
Extreme weather across the Denver metro area Wednesday had caused hundreds of flights to be delayed or canceled at Denver International Airport after the FAA declared a ground stop at DIA until 9 p.m. Wednesday.
As of 5 p.m., 597 flights were delayed, up slightly from the previous few days, but 126 flights were canceled, compared to just seven on Tuesday and three on Monday, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. Those numbers have been steadily increasing throughout the day and are expected to continue.
You can view a live map from FlightAware here:
Ground delays are expected through at least 9 p.m., according to airport spokeswoman Ashley Forest.
"What we'll see is potentially more delays around 6 p.m.," Forest said. "Safety is the single most important aspect of running an airport. We rely on trainings and systems in place, as well as passenger cooperation, to minimize impacts to out passengers."
She did not see any damage to the airport or aircraft, but she said they're ready to respond. Wednesday saw a heavy accumulation of hail along the front range, as well as tornado watches and warnings.
Forest urges travelers to check the status of their flights. They can do that with their airline or at www.flydenver.com/flights.
