Dennis Hext

HOUGHTON COUNTY – As mentioned in the article above, a winter storm warning has been posted by the National Weather Service until 6 p.m. tonight. Houghton County Airport Manager Dennis Hext said he is not overly concerned with flight cancelations as a result of the potential of winter weather. “We’re used to this stuff,” he said, “so we’re prepared for it.”

According to the weather forecast, widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility to a quarter mile or less for several hours. The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday evening commute and will impact the Wednesday morning commute.

While Hext is not worried about flight cancelations, he offers suggestions for those who will be flying during the predicted storm period.

“For people who are traveling, I would definitely give yourself more time,” he said. “Don’t show up at the airport 30 minutes before. Show up at least 90 minutes before departure. Give it really more time because whenever it snows it can take a little longer to drive, so always give yourself more time, especially with the roads and everything.” Hext said arriving at the airport early ensures plenty of time to check in.

The Weather Service cautions snowfall may start earlier Tuesday, potentially even starting early Tue. afternoon. However, it may have trouble accumulating as temperatures look to remain just above freezing at the surface until the evening hours. Hext concurs. “Fortunately, I don’t think – I could be wrong – but I don’t think that things are gonna get too bad until 11 or 12 o’clock tonight (Tuesday). It looks like it’s going to stay warm.” On the other hand, he said, if it is certain that weather conditions will become as drastic as the predictions, with 12 inches of snow per hour and high winds, SkyWest Airlines would probably make the decision to cancel, especially if visibility is reduced to a quarter mile. “But they can land with half-a-mile visibility and a 200-foot ceiling,” he said.

In spite of the severity of the forecast, Hext said he was confident the plane would be able to land Tuesday evening. It then was expected to be secured in the hanger, where it will be ready for the next morning. “If we have the blizzard conditions like they’re saying,” Hext said, “then it’ll be delayed or it might take a while to get out of here. I would just plan on being wary of it, but don’t expect it to be canceled.”