LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — This weekend's winter weather could have an impact on air travel. Blue Grass Airport is working ahead of the potential snow and ice to minimize problems for passengers and airlines.
A warehouse full of snow and ice removal equipment is ready to be put to work in the coming days as airport officials closely track the incoming storm.
Christian Nelson, director of operations for the airport, said snow and ice removal efforts are "all hands on deck."
"I think the biggest thing for a lot of people that are traveling this weekend is just being patient and understanding that as you come in here, there's a lot of moving parts and obviously, safety is our number one priority," Nelson said.
"As we get out there and we don't feel it's safe, then yes, there might be delays. But realistically, we're really well prepared and I think we've got a great staff and we can tackle that."
Inside the airport's operations center, team members are monitoring conditions on the airfield as sensors report live data about the temperature and moisture on the runway.
Crews will respond according to the kind of precipitation that comes to Lexington.
"We'll have staff here early Sunday morning it sounds like, and then we'll probably just work 12 hour shifts from here on out, and then we'll continue to work around the clock," Nelson said.
Depending on the storm's impact, cleanup could continue for days. The airport crews will work to minimize the storm's impact on the runway, but other delays and cancellations could result from the storm's impact on other parts of the country, as well as airline decisions.
For now, uncertainty remains about what the flight board will look like come Sunday and Monday.
"Any time you deal with freezing rain, you have to kind of deal with the uncertainty that comes with that," Nelson said.
